Asbestos Killing British Military Veterans but does the Government give a damn?

"As the country this month remembered those who have died in conflicts, the TUC has said those who suffered and died as a result of hazardous exposures while serving in the forces should not be forgotten. Many contracted diseases they contracted while serving in the military, including the deadly asbestos cancer mesothelioma.

According to TUC head of safety Hugh Robertson: “Around 2,500 people develop mesothelioma every year in the UK and a large number are ex-military. Many are ex-navy as most ships were literally covered in asbestos until the 1980s. It was used as a coating, insulator and flooring. Navy personnel were frequently exposed to high levels of asbestos dust in boiler and engine rooms, but even in their sleeping quarters and mess halls.”

Academics at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine have predicted that over 2,500 naval veterans will die from mesothelioma between now and 2047.

TUC’s Hugh Robertson said many will be denied compensation as the Mesothelioma Act, which provides compensation to sufferers who can’t trace their former employer or their insurer, exempts the armed forces. He added that ex-service personnel who were exposed before 1987 - which is most of them - will not be able to make any claim, because the “Crown immunity” from prosecution covers all cases up to that date.

Instead, they are given a War Disablement Pension during their lifetime – but mesothelioma victims typically survive only months after diagnosis, so this is unlikely to amount to a great deal. If they live for a year, the maximum they can receive is around £31,000.

This compares with an average civil payment for mesothelioma of over £150,000. Hat tip TUC risks

TUC Stronger Unions blog.

Asbestos Legal Update: London Regional Health & Safety Committee

Picture of Thompson's personal injury solicitor, Ann-Marie Christie, with London UNISON health and safety network members.

Yesterday lunchtime she gave an update to the Regional Health & Safety committee and branch officers network on the latest legal developments. 

The good news was that there was finally justice for many victims of the deadly asbestos cancer Mesothelioma following the recent ruling by the Supreme Court against 6 rogue insurance companies (the so called "trigger issue"). Who for the past 6 years had tried to get out of paying compensation by arguing that they should not pay out when the company they insured actually fatally exposed their workers to asbestos only when the cancerous symptoms developed. Since this was often decades later when the insurance policies were expired this of course would have meant that many of the 2,500 people per year who get Mesthelioma would receive nothing.

While this is indeed a victory (by the trade unions who funded the appeal) it is too late for all those who have died in the meanwhile since 2006.  Their families may now finally get recompense.

No such good news on the battle for Pleural Plaques compensation nor for a bureau to register the insurance policies for companies that have now gone bust. The TUC estimate that at least 5,000 people die every year from asbestos related conditions and that 1 in every 100 men born in the 1940's will also die prematurely from these conditions. The majority of asbestos imported into this country took place from 1955 to 1980.

The movie actor, Steve McQueen, died from Mesothelioma. Not because he was a racing driver who wore fire retardant overalls which contained asbestos, as I had read, but because he had worked in ship engine rooms and ship yards before he become famous. 

Update: I forgot to mention that I thanked Thompson's at the meeting for a £60k settlement they won for a member of my branch who suffered a nasty accident at work. Ann-Marie stressed the importance of taking pictures of the accident scene as soon as is possible.

TUC supports Justice for Victims of Pleural Plaques

I received this email and YouTube link today from TULO

I've got some good news to share with you about our campaign for justice for victims of Pleural Plaques.

The TUC debated an Emergency motion on Plaques yesterday - and the whole union movement has united behind this campaign for justice. This is a really important moment in our campaign - it just goes to show what we can achieve when we work together like this.

Over the past few weeks we've been working on a video, which was played to Congress. The video features sufferers of Pleural Plaques - including a man called Alan Clark. Alan sadly died of Mesothelioma shortly after recording his interview - but he wanted his story to be used to help win justice for Pleural Plaques.You can watch it here - please sign the petition and then invite all of your friends to do the same:

It's a deeply touching film and - I hope - a fitting tribute. I'm genuinely proud to have worked on this project.But it's not only Alan's story that touched me. It's the people who have to deal with this condition day in, day out.

It's their stories that call for justice better than I ever could.Because the truth is that Pleural Plaques causes real and genuine concern for victims - and their families. It's a real life ticking timebomb - and the cause of untold worry and concern.You can watch their stories here - and then please sign our petition and then invite your friends to do the same:http://www.unionstogether.org.uk/justice

Now, our march for justice continues. We will not back down from this fight. We stand up for victims of Pleural Plaques wherever we can. This is a call for justice that each of us must answer.

Thank you

Justice for Pleural Plaques

I received this email from TULO late yesterday– It a very good campaign but it is about time that the Government woke up and sorted this issue out PDQ.

"I've just been contacted by a colleague about Pleural Plaques and I knew I had to act. I'm writing today because I need your help in getting justice for victims of this terrible disease. I've just launched a petition calling for victims of Pleural Plaques to be fairly compensated for their injuries - you can sign it here:http://unionstogether.org.uk/justice

Pleural Plaques are scarring of the lungs caused by heavy and prolonged exposure to asbestos. Until a few years ago, sufferers of the disease were able to claim compensation. Crucially, this meant that companies were liable if they exposed their workers to asbestos. But in October 2007, the Law Lords outrageously scrapped this precedent - meaning that thousands of people with Pleural Plaques would not be entitled to a single penny, whilst insurers profited to the tune of £1.4BN.

My petition calls on the Government to do the right thing for victims of Pleural Plaques and restore compensation. The Scottish Parliament and the devolved administration in Northern Ireland have already done this - and with your help we'll get Whitehall to stop dragging their feet and get this sorted in England and Wales too.

You can sign the petition here: http://www.unionstogether.org.uk/page/m2/6e20ef71/6e22190d/3c1c334a/524f474d/2110597015/VEsC/ Employers have long known about the dangers of exposure to asbestos. But instead of providing the protection required to safeguard their staff, many simply decided to hope they could get away with it.A truly disgusting decision and a real abdication of duty.

Now thousands of men and women suffer from an entirely avoidable disease, and those who are diagnosed today aren't even entitled to compensation.The Law Lords' decision that the lung scarring caused by asbestos isn't worthy of compensation is clearly wrong. In fact, the whole process was dubious - with one lawyer on the payroll of the employers' insurance companies having the audacity to claim that pleural plaques were a "good thing." This couldn't be further from the truth.

Pleural plaques are a sign of deep scarring to the lungs. Real physical injury, caused by long-term exposure to asbestos. And it causes significant mental anguish as well - Pleural Plaques victims have a dramatically higher chance of developing Mesothelioma - a lung cancer caused by exposure to asbestos.Many victims describe this as a ticking time bomb that infects their lives with fear - imagine living with the knowledge that your lungs had been irreversibly damaged by asbestos. Tragically, we know of at least one sufferer who couldn't live with the fear and took their own life.

Together we can make a difference. We want to see the government take action to reverse the Law Lords' judgement and make this unjust situation right. All we're asking for is justice for the people who need our help.Please sign our petition - and then get your friends to sign it as well.http://www.unionstogether.org.uk/page/m2/6e20ef71/6e22190d/3c1c334a/524f474d/2110597015/VEsD/Together we'll send a powerful message to the Government - justice now.

Byron Taylor