Expert Industrial Disease Lawyers Back Action Mesothelioma Day

Expert asbestos-related disease lawyers at national law firm Irwin Mitchell, which helps hundreds of people affected by mesothelioma every year, has backed Action Mesothelioma Day, which takes place on Friday (July 7).

The national awareness day aims to bring together victims of the disease, those who have loved ones affected by the disease, healthcare professionals, support groups and those working to understand the disease and find a cure, to ensure the public are aware of the terrible impact it can have on sufferers and their carers.

Members of Irwin Mitchell Bristol’s Asbestos Related Disease Team will be attending a dove release in memory of the victims of the disease. The event will begin at 11am at the MShed on the harbourside.

Mesothelioma is an aggressive and, sadly, terminal, form of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos, often decades before victims begin to suffer with symptoms. According to the latest statistics from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) more than 2,500 people in the UK lose their lives to the disease every year.

It is most commonly associated with heavy industry and the building trade and the vast majority of deaths from mesothelioma are in people over the age of 65. It is predicted that mesothelioma deaths will continue to rise every year before reaching a peak in about 2020.

Expert Opinion

“The first Asbestos Regulations, to manage the use of asbestos because of its danger to health, became law in 1931, so to learn that people were exposed to the fibres much later is very upsetting for the individuals or the families who come to us.

"Asbestos was commonly used in industry and the building trade for many years and, tragically, although employers ought to have known of the dangers it posed to the health of their staff, they did not implement safety measures and warnings to protect workers from inhaling the toxic substance.

“More than 2,500 people die in the UK every year from mesothelioma – a number which is likely to rise over the coming years due to the common use of asbestos in the building trade in the 1970s. This is why we support Action Mesothelioma Day, with the aim of ensuring that this disease, which affects thousands of victims and their families every year, is never far from public consciousness.” Virginia Chalmers - Partner

In recent years, the profile of mesothelioma victims has begun to shift, with more and more people being diagnosed with the disease following low-level or take-home exposure, and a rise in the number of people affected by the presence of asbestos in public buildings, such as schools, local government offices, hospitals and universities.

Specialist asbestos-related disease lawyers at Irwin Mitchell are campaigning for improvements in the way the HMRC handles claims relating to asbestos-related diseases, as well as calling for increased monitoring and management of asbestos in public buildings. The deadly substance, once dubbed ‘the magic mineral’ continues to pose a risk for a new generation of workers and it is important this danger is removed from the workplace.

Virginia added: “Asbestos is still found in older public buildings such as homes, schools and offices. That is why it is vital, to ensure public safety, that clear monitoring programmes are introduced and, ultimately, hazardous material is removed altogether.

“We hope that, by supporting Action Mesothelioma Day annually, we will help to raise awareness of the ongoing risks of asbestos and encourage employers and Government to take action which could prevent future suffering.”

Read more about the work of Irwin Mitchell's Asbestos-Related Disease Team