Asbestos victim worked as a secretary at Scottish foundry

The family of an asbestos victim have been awarded £360,000 in compensation following her death.

Their much loved relative, Winifred Thacker, had worked as a secretary for six years at the Atlas Steel Foundry in Armadale, West Lothian, Scotland.

She worked at the foundry until 1967.

Winifred died aged 67 from the lung disease metastatic mesothelioma in September 2014.

The female judge presiding over the case said Winifred’s former employers had done nothing to prevent her being exposed to deadly asbestos.

During the years she worked there, her job would involve walking in and out of the foundry delivering memos and she would record slips from the clocking in machine.

Although the Atlas Steel Foundry closed it’s doors in 1989, Lawyers representing the foundry said she couldn’t have been exposed to asbestos as she worked in an office far from the asbestos contamination source, and so Atlas Steel Foundry were not liable to pay compensation.

They did however acknowledge the fact that Winifred died of an asbestos related illness.

Judge rules in families favour

The judge stated that the foundry should have taken action to suppress the asbestos dust, but they obviously hadn’t done so.

As a result of them not taking the necessary steps, Winifred had been exposed to asbestos dust regularly duing her 6 years of employment.

The judge said, “While her exposure to asbestos was less than the levels to which those cutting the asbestos blankets and covering the castings with them were exposed, her exposure was to an extent likely to be injurious to her, as it ultimately was.”

“That injury was reasonably foreseeable and the defender did nothing to prevent it.”

The lawyer representing the family, Kieran Smith from Thompsons Solicitors, said of the case,”This decision confirms that Scots law recognises that the duty on the employer is to prevent the giving off of dust and fumes at source in order to properly protect their workers.”

Source of article:-  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-44794165

 

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Published Aug 06, 2018