Seeking Information On Employment Conditions At ICI

The wife of a man from Huddersfield who died after being diagnosed with an asbestos cancer is appealing for his former workmates to come forward and help establish how he became ill.

The plea is being made as the nation marks this year’s Workers’ Memorial Day on Tuesday 28 April.

Kenneth Townley passed away in July last year, at the age of 82. It was four months after he was diagnosed with mesothelioma, a terminal cancer of the lining of the lungs most commonly associated with exposure to asbestos decades previously.

Following Kenneth’s death, his wife Dorothy instructed specialist asbestos-related disease lawyers at national firm Irwin Mitchell to investigate his illness and whether it was linked to his work history.

As part of the ongoing investigation, the legal experts are now seeking more information on the conditions Kenneth would have faced while working for Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) in Huddersfield.

Expert Opinion

“Dorothy and the rest of Kenneth’s family are understandably still devastated after losing him and need to know how he went on to develop mesothelioma.

Through our work we sadly often see families who have been torn apart by asbestos disease seemingly many years after the exposure has occurred.

Nothing will change what happened to Kenneth, but we are determined to help his family come to terms with their loss by getting her the answers she needs to move forward.

We would be grateful if anyone could offer information on the conditions Kenneth worked in to help establish where he could have come into contact with the substance during his time at ICI.

We would be interested in hearing from anybody who worked alongside Kenneth, and also labourers, contractors and laggers who may have worked directly with asbestos.”
Lucy Andrews - Associate Solicitor

Kenneth’s employment with ICI began in 1954, and he worked for the company for over 39 years. He started off in the labs before he gained a degree and moved on to the plants as plant

manager, where he was involved in the production process.

Dorothy recalls that Kenneth transferred to Manchester to work in toxicology in the early 1980s, before starting employment as ICI’s Worldwide Safety Manager which required him to travel internationally.

Kenneth was married to Dorothy for 57 years. They have two children together, Simon and Helen.

He first began to feel unwell in October 2018 when he developed a persistent cough.  He was diagnosed with mesothelioma in March 2019.

Dorothy said: “I am still struggling to come to terms with losing Kenneth, he was my soul mate and I miss him every day.

“It was really difficult to watch his condition deteriorate towards the end knowing that I couldn’t do anything to stop him suffering.

“While nothing will bring him back to me, I need to know what caused him to fall ill.  It would mean a lot to me if anyone could help.”

Kenneth’s loved ones are making the appeal as the nation marks Workers’ Memorial Day on Tuesday, 28 April, a day to ‘remember the dead and to fight for the living’ by paying respects to those who have died as a result of their employment.  The day campaigns to improve health and safety standards in the workplace, and increase the protection in place for employees.

Anyone that may have information that could assist with this case is asked to contact Lucy Andrews at Irwin Mitchell’s Leeds office on 0113 394 6782 or by e-mail at lucy.andrews@irwinmitchell.com.

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