Information Sought On Several Of His Former Employers

The devastated loved ones of a Surrey man who died from asbestos-related cancer have launched an emotional appeal for his former workmates to come forward and help them understand how he encountered the deadly material.

Grandfather-of-four Stuart Raggett, who was born in Haslemere, was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2020. The cancer of the lining of the lung is commonly associated with exposure to asbestos materials.

Following his diagnosis, Stuart instructed asbestos-related disease experts at Irwin Mitchell to investigate whether his illness was linked to his work history.

During discussions with the team, Stuart detailed how he recalled coming into contact with the substance across his working life, including during his employment at:

• The National Gas Turbine Establishment in Farnborough between 1961 and 1967
• Springfield Hospital in Tooting from 1968 to 1969
• King George V Hospital in Godalming from 1969 to 1971
• St Luke’s Hospital in Guildford from 1971 to 1974
• Surrey Area Health Authority from 1974 to 1988

While Stuart has sadly passed away, his family have now joined with Irwin Mitchell to call on anyone with information on these organisations to come forward. With Workers’ Memorial Day approaching, they would be keen to hear from people who worked directly with Stuart, as well as those with knowledge of the working conditions he may have faced.

Expert Opinion

“This is sadly yet another case that highlights the terrible consequences of asbestos exposure, with the true impact only becoming clear years after exposure has seemingly occurred.

Stuart’s family remain desperate for answers regarding his death. As such, we would be grateful to hear from anyone who might have information on the organisations that Stuart mentioned. The right detail could prove key as we look to help his family gain justice.”
Oliver Collett - Partner

Stuart, who lived in Tadcaster, near Leeds, prior to his death, first developed symptoms of mesothelioma in August 2020. He sadly passed away aged 76 in June last year.

Before he died, Stuart outlined how he undertook an apprenticeship with the Ministry of Aviation at the National Gas Turbine Establishment in Farnborough after leaving school. He worked primarily on the instruments and controls of the gas turbines being built and tested, but was exposed to asbestos dust when lagging was being mixed.

In 1968, he became an assistant engineer at Springfield Hospital and would spend a lot of time in the boiler house. He worked in close proximity to laggers and disturbed lagged pipework on service ducts. Stuart added that he would have experienced similar exposure during his roles at King George V Hospital and St Luke’s Hospital.

Finally, during his time at Surrey Area Health Authority he recalled being seconded to Milford Chest Hospital for a full survey of its service ducting. He stated that this led to exposure to lagging on pipework, as well as dust and debris around the ducts.

Stuart’s wife Rita said: “Losing Stuart was awful. He was my soulmate and we did everything together.  It’s still so difficult to come to terms with him no longer being here.

“The whole experience has been made so much harder by the lack of answers as to how he developed mesothelioma. The whole family remains devastated and it was awful to see how it affected him. We have lots of questions.

“We would appreciate it if anyone who worked with Stuart could come forward and provide further detail on the situations he faced. It would mean so much to us.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact Oliver Collett at Irwin Mitchell on 0113 3946784 or email Oliver.Collett@IrwinMitchell.com.

For more information about mesothelioma and its impact, visit https://www.mesothelioma.uk.com/.

Workers’ Memorial Day is held on 28 April to remember those who have died as a result of their employment, and campaigns to improve health and safety standards in the workplace and increase protection for employees.

Find out more about Irwin Mitchell's expertise in handling asbestos-related disease cases