Details Sought On Massey Coldbeck Site In Kirkby

The family of a former electrical engineer from Liverpool are making a heartfelt appeal for help following his death from asbestos related cancer.

Doug Ormsby was just a few days away from his 66^th birthday when he died from mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lungs most commonly associated with exposure to asbestos often decades previously.

Prior to his death, Doug instructed asbestos-related disease experts at Irwin Mitchell to investigate where and how he could have come into contact with the hazardous substance.

Doug’s family are continuing the investigation alongside Doug's legal team and are keen to hear from his former workmates with details of his working conditions. Doug worked at Massey Coldbeck Electric Motor Service/Massey Coldbeck Engineering, where he repaired electric motors, from 1969 until he retired in 2017. 

Expert Opinion

“Doug’s family understandably remain devastated following his death, and their grief has been so much worse by the knowledge that his illness was likely to have been caused by exposure to asbestos at his workplace.”

We are therefore keen to hear from anyone that worked alongside Doug and, while nothing can make up for his family’s loss, we’re determined to provide them with the answers they deserve.

Any detail, no matter how small, could prove vital to our investigation.”
Katrina London - Senior Associate Solicitor

Doug worked at the Massey Coldbeck workshop on Windsor Road in Tuebrook, where he recalled carrying motors from the truck into the workshop and remembered being told “careful, it’s asbestos on that.”   Doug believed he came into contact with asbestos when cleaning out motors which had been contaminated with asbestos fibres prior to carrying out repairs to them.  The company relocated to building site on Stockpit Road, Kirkby in 1972 but Doug’s work remained the same.

The responsibility for sweeping up also fell to Doug.  Sometime he used a high pressure air hose which “whipped the dust up into the air”.

Doug retired in September 2017, shortly before his 65^th birthday.  It was only a year later when he noticed he was struggling with shortness of breath but assumed it was his asthma “playing up.”  In October 2018, he saw his GP and was referred for a chest x-ray and administered antibiotics.  By December that year, Doug’s condition had deteriorated and he was sent for a further x-ray and CT scan.  He spent Christmas in hospital, and was diagnosed with mesothelioma in January 2019.  He passed away on 4 December 2019

At the time of his death, Doug had been married to wife Marie, 61, for 39 years.  The couple had three children – Clare, 37, Nicola, 35, and Daniel, 32 – and two grandchildren.

Marie said: “Doug was enjoying his retirement and was in good health before he was diagnosed.  He was a keen cyclist and gardener, and also spent time doing DIY and painting and decorating.  So it was a huge shock when we found out he was unwell.

“To then lose him so soon afterwards was devastating, and I’m still struggling to this day.  He was my soul mate and we did everything together, so it’s incredibly difficult to come to terms with him no longer being here.

“We had been to Cyprus and the Lake District shortly before we found out about his illness, and I could tell that something wasn’t quite right but I never once thought it would be an asbestos related cancer that could have been caused by him going to work.

“While there is nothing that can bring Doug back or make up for our loss, we want to continue with his search for the answers as to how he could have developed this terrible disease before he died, and we would be so grateful if anyone could help us.”

Anyone with information that could assist with this case is asked to contact Katrina London on 0161 838 7262 or by e-mail at Katrina.london@IrwinMitchell.com.

For more information on mesothelioma visit the Mesothelioma UK charity’s website at www.mesothelioma.uk.com

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