A new report prepared by the Institute of Cancer Research and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine examines the occupational, domestic and environmental mesothelioma risks in Britain. The findings are not good news.
The study was conducted for the Health and Safety Executive, an organization whose mission is to prevent death, injury and ill health in Great Britain’s workplaces. The HSE says this is the largest global study of its kind, including more than 600 patients with mesothelioma and 1,400 healthy people, interviewed to examine the rates of mesothelioma among different occupations in the UK.
Statistics resulting from the study include the following:
One in 17 British carpenters born in the 1940s will die of mesothelioma
Plumbers, electricians and decorators born in the 1940s who worked in their trade for more than 10 years before they were 30 have a risk of 1 in 50 of dying of mesothelioma
The risk for other construction workers born in this generation is 1 in 125.
For every case of mesothelioma, asbestos also causes about 1 case of lung cancer; the risk of asbestos-related lung cancer for carpenters in this age group is 1 in 10.
In other industries, about two thirds of British men and one quarter of British women worked in jobs with potential asbestos exposure.
Among the general UK population, even those who did not experience occupational exposure still have a 1 in 1,000 risk of mesothelioma, indicating unrecognized environmental asbestos exposure, due to its widespread use in the 1960s and 1970s.
The report estimates there are more than 2,100 people diagnosed with mesothelioma in the UK every year, with about 5 times as many cases in men as in women.
Read the full report.
Tuesday, 31 March 2009
Monday, 30 March 2009
Spodden Valley Scandal Part 2
The Video Clip Of The Spodden Valley Scandal Part 1 is further down this page
Friday, 6 March 2009
Asbestos timebomb:Outrage of dying cancer victims forced to wait for their payouts
By Andrew Penman and Nick Sommerlad 5/03/2009
Daily Mirror campaign
By Andrew Penman and Nick Sommerlad 5/03/2009
Daily Mirror campaign
These two insurance fat cats were happy to pocket the premiums.
But now faced with the enormous bill for asbestos disease payouts they are among a number of company bosses who are desperate to avoid coughing up.
Ian Willett, director of Municipal Mutual Insurance, and Ramani Ayer, chairman of the Hartford Financial Services Group, have saved their companies huge sums by dodging costs from the rising death toll.
They belong to an insurance industry which wants compensation to be triggered when a worker contracts asbestos disease - not when they first inhaled the fibres.
The trouble is, if claimants worked with asbestos in the 60s but only now are diagnosed with a related cancer, then it is highly likely their employers are no longer trading.
And a company that does not exist any more will not still have insurance cover - so no insurance company would pay up.
Four months ago, the High Court ruled against them in what became known as the "trigger" case.
Mr Justice Burton said that whoever insured the company at the time its workers were exposed to asbestos must pay compensation, even if the company itself has long since disappeared.
But the victory was short-lived as a string of insurance companies are appealing against the decision.
It means while lawyers prepare for another protracted court battle, more victims will be diagnosed with asbestosr-elated diseases and suffer terrible deaths.
Alan Ritchie of construction union UCATT blasted: "Every week 40 people die of mesothelioma. It is sickening that the insurance industry wants to block their compensation."
Just one of the insurers behind the trigger case court fight is Willett's Municipal Mutual Insurance.
Willett, who last year netted a £294,000 salary plus £43,000 in bonus and benefits, said Municipal Mutual was a special case because its clients were mainly local councils and, unlike companies, councils do not go out of business. He argued that the issue of there being no current insurance cover does not apply.
But there are unpaid victims because Municipal Mutual has not being paying asbestos compensation for six years.
Willett said that because of the time that has passed since it last issued employer liability insurance, victims diagnosed with asbestos cancer after 2003 "are not our responsibility".
In the case of Municipal Mutual, he estimates that £85million is at stake.
It could go to help asbestos victims and their grieving families.
But if the insurers win the next round in the legal battle, it will stay in the pockets of the councils and private investors who own the business.
Willett admitted during the last year's High Court hearing his bonus depended on the outcome of the case.
And he revealed that he had been paid extra in the past for saving his company money in asbestos payouts - and that potentially he would get paid more for winning the so-called "trigger" case.
Another big player in the High Court battle is Excess Insurance Company, owned by Ayer's Hartford Financial Services Group. It estimates in its latest accounts a provision for outstanding asbestos claims of £383million.
And it is not as if it cannot afford them.
It has a £9billion surplus and £8.5billion in cash and investments.
Ayer boasts on the company's website: "The Hartford is financially strong and well capitalised." He is doing nicely too - having recently made £1million on share options.
When we asked The Hartford why it was persisting in fighting the insurance battle, a spokesman said: "We don't have anything to provide at this point."
Municipal Mutual, Excess, plus Builders Accident Insurance and Independent Insurance appear determined not to pay up despite losing round one of the court battle. Ian McFall of Thompsons solicitors said: "One effect of the trigger defence is to frustrate and delay the process of obtaining compensation for people who are dying from mesothelioma and for the families of those who have died.
"It creates black holes in insurance cover.
The insurance industry knows this."
That is why the Mirror is calling for a new fund to be set up - paid for by the insurance industry - to provide compensation for all uninsured workers.
The Association of British Insurers runs a tracing scheme for workers who cannot trace the insurance policies but less than half were successful last year.
Meanwhile, uninsured workers are left to claim state handouts that are less than one third the amount they could claim on insurance. The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Occupational Safety and Health recently said the "voluntary approach is failing" and called on the Government to take urgent action and set up a fund of last resort.
The Motor Insurance Bureau already provides compensation for victims of uninsured drivers.
A new Employers Liability Insurance Bureau would provide fair and equal compensation for all workers - and would not cost the taxpayer a penny.
The ABI opposes the plan as it claims it could encourage bosses to break the law and not insure workers and because they do not want today's firms to pay for failures of the past.
But now faced with the enormous bill for asbestos disease payouts they are among a number of company bosses who are desperate to avoid coughing up.
Ian Willett, director of Municipal Mutual Insurance, and Ramani Ayer, chairman of the Hartford Financial Services Group, have saved their companies huge sums by dodging costs from the rising death toll.
They belong to an insurance industry which wants compensation to be triggered when a worker contracts asbestos disease - not when they first inhaled the fibres.
The trouble is, if claimants worked with asbestos in the 60s but only now are diagnosed with a related cancer, then it is highly likely their employers are no longer trading.
And a company that does not exist any more will not still have insurance cover - so no insurance company would pay up.
Four months ago, the High Court ruled against them in what became known as the "trigger" case.
Mr Justice Burton said that whoever insured the company at the time its workers were exposed to asbestos must pay compensation, even if the company itself has long since disappeared.
But the victory was short-lived as a string of insurance companies are appealing against the decision.
It means while lawyers prepare for another protracted court battle, more victims will be diagnosed with asbestosr-elated diseases and suffer terrible deaths.
Alan Ritchie of construction union UCATT blasted: "Every week 40 people die of mesothelioma. It is sickening that the insurance industry wants to block their compensation."
Just one of the insurers behind the trigger case court fight is Willett's Municipal Mutual Insurance.
Willett, who last year netted a £294,000 salary plus £43,000 in bonus and benefits, said Municipal Mutual was a special case because its clients were mainly local councils and, unlike companies, councils do not go out of business. He argued that the issue of there being no current insurance cover does not apply.
But there are unpaid victims because Municipal Mutual has not being paying asbestos compensation for six years.
Willett said that because of the time that has passed since it last issued employer liability insurance, victims diagnosed with asbestos cancer after 2003 "are not our responsibility".
In the case of Municipal Mutual, he estimates that £85million is at stake.
It could go to help asbestos victims and their grieving families.
But if the insurers win the next round in the legal battle, it will stay in the pockets of the councils and private investors who own the business.
Willett admitted during the last year's High Court hearing his bonus depended on the outcome of the case.
And he revealed that he had been paid extra in the past for saving his company money in asbestos payouts - and that potentially he would get paid more for winning the so-called "trigger" case.
Another big player in the High Court battle is Excess Insurance Company, owned by Ayer's Hartford Financial Services Group. It estimates in its latest accounts a provision for outstanding asbestos claims of £383million.
And it is not as if it cannot afford them.
It has a £9billion surplus and £8.5billion in cash and investments.
Ayer boasts on the company's website: "The Hartford is financially strong and well capitalised." He is doing nicely too - having recently made £1million on share options.
When we asked The Hartford why it was persisting in fighting the insurance battle, a spokesman said: "We don't have anything to provide at this point."
Municipal Mutual, Excess, plus Builders Accident Insurance and Independent Insurance appear determined not to pay up despite losing round one of the court battle. Ian McFall of Thompsons solicitors said: "One effect of the trigger defence is to frustrate and delay the process of obtaining compensation for people who are dying from mesothelioma and for the families of those who have died.
"It creates black holes in insurance cover.
The insurance industry knows this."
That is why the Mirror is calling for a new fund to be set up - paid for by the insurance industry - to provide compensation for all uninsured workers.
The Association of British Insurers runs a tracing scheme for workers who cannot trace the insurance policies but less than half were successful last year.
Meanwhile, uninsured workers are left to claim state handouts that are less than one third the amount they could claim on insurance. The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Occupational Safety and Health recently said the "voluntary approach is failing" and called on the Government to take urgent action and set up a fund of last resort.
The Motor Insurance Bureau already provides compensation for victims of uninsured drivers.
A new Employers Liability Insurance Bureau would provide fair and equal compensation for all workers - and would not cost the taxpayer a penny.
The ABI opposes the plan as it claims it could encourage bosses to break the law and not insure workers and because they do not want today's firms to pay for failures of the past.
RAMANI AYER THE HARTFORD
Job Chairman
Perks £1million profit on share options
IAN WILLETMUNICIPAL MUTUAL
Job Director
Perks £43,000 bonus on top of £294,000 salary
Tuesday, 17 February 2009
"Amazing Asbestos" By Keasbey & MattisonStone that turns to floss
Though Asbestos is Rock, When mined once broken
it can be pulled apart... Actually makes a fleece
as soft and light as a wisp of wool...
This ad from the 1950s proclaims the miracle properties of asbestos, but it was identified as a serious health hazard in the 1920s ...
World's First Asbestos Research Centre Opens
Sydney, Australia
On January 20, 2009 Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd presided over the opening dedication of the Bernie Banton Asbestos Diseases Research Institute (BBADRI). Located on the grounds of Sydney's Concord Hospital, the $12 million facility is the world's largest stand alone institute dedicated entirely to the advancement of scientific investigations into asbestos-caused malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM), an aggressive, deadly, and incurable form of lung cancer. Public and private donation funded, the BBADRI will be partially staffed by physicians and researchers from Concord Hospital.
Named for a man who is considered to be a true Australian hero, the BBADRI celebrates the life of Bernie Banton, a man who had worked for years for James Hardie, a worldwide manufacturer and distributor of asbestos containing cementitious building supplies and other products. While at Hardie, Bernie's job exposed him, as well as thousands of other workers, to high levels of asbestos over a period of many years.
Bernie Banton died in 2007, his name added to a list of thousands of Australian workers who have succumbed to MPM, but, before Bernie died, he fought a heroic battle against Hardie on the behalf of all the workers that had been sickened by Hardie's failure to protect its employees from the well-known hazards of asbestos. Mr. Banton's courageous and tireless efforts eventually resulted in a staggering $4 billion dollar worker compensation package from Hardie.
At the asbestos center's opening ceremonies, after praising Bernie Banton's battle against the manufacturing giant, Prime Minister Rudd pledged $5 million to the state-of-the-art facility that will conduct bench (laboratory) and clinical (patient-involved) research programs designed to better understand asbestos-caused MPM while developing novel therapies to treat it.
The Dutch head of the BBADRI, Professor Nico van Zandwijk is a thoracic oncology specialist who reports that the new asbestos center is the result of a group of forward-thinking Australians who recognized the need for such a facility several years ago. "We aim to study specific pathways to disease and relate them to prognosis and treatment," said Zandwijk, who went on to state, "We will also concentrate on education and prevention, and work on plans to ensure that the affected victim receives optimal treatment. Ultimately, the aim will be to find new ways to treat a disease that is largely resistant to most forms of traditional therapy."
As a relevant note, while it was PM Rudd who officially dedicated the Sydney cancer center, the politician has recently come under fire from the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU), a worker organization that accuses the Australian government of serious failures in enforcing a nationwide ban on asbestos. The ACTU, as well as five its major unions, recently sent a letter to PM Rudd, wherein it was stated that the government must establish an "asbestos task force" to investigate the thousands of daily exposures to asbestos that occur in Australia every day-many of those needlessly endangered by asbestos being Australian Navy and other military personnel. Sharan Burrow is the President of the ACTU, and she called PM Rudd's dedication of the BBADRI a "hollow gesture" by the government leader who has, to date, "failed to act to protect Australians from the very real dangers of exposure to asbestos."
At the dedication, PM Rudd stated, "Next year, around 750 Australians will be diagnosed with asbestos-related disease," and that "these are bad figures." Rudd went on to say that by 2020, Australia would be faced with over 13,000 cases of asbestos-caused mesothelioma. Bad figures, indeed, but Bernie Banton's cancer center will be there to help solve the mystery of this dreaded disease.
On January 20, 2009 Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd presided over the opening dedication of the Bernie Banton Asbestos Diseases Research Institute (BBADRI). Located on the grounds of Sydney's Concord Hospital, the $12 million facility is the world's largest stand alone institute dedicated entirely to the advancement of scientific investigations into asbestos-caused malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM), an aggressive, deadly, and incurable form of lung cancer. Public and private donation funded, the BBADRI will be partially staffed by physicians and researchers from Concord Hospital.
Named for a man who is considered to be a true Australian hero, the BBADRI celebrates the life of Bernie Banton, a man who had worked for years for James Hardie, a worldwide manufacturer and distributor of asbestos containing cementitious building supplies and other products. While at Hardie, Bernie's job exposed him, as well as thousands of other workers, to high levels of asbestos over a period of many years.
Bernie Banton died in 2007, his name added to a list of thousands of Australian workers who have succumbed to MPM, but, before Bernie died, he fought a heroic battle against Hardie on the behalf of all the workers that had been sickened by Hardie's failure to protect its employees from the well-known hazards of asbestos. Mr. Banton's courageous and tireless efforts eventually resulted in a staggering $4 billion dollar worker compensation package from Hardie.
At the asbestos center's opening ceremonies, after praising Bernie Banton's battle against the manufacturing giant, Prime Minister Rudd pledged $5 million to the state-of-the-art facility that will conduct bench (laboratory) and clinical (patient-involved) research programs designed to better understand asbestos-caused MPM while developing novel therapies to treat it.
The Dutch head of the BBADRI, Professor Nico van Zandwijk is a thoracic oncology specialist who reports that the new asbestos center is the result of a group of forward-thinking Australians who recognized the need for such a facility several years ago. "We aim to study specific pathways to disease and relate them to prognosis and treatment," said Zandwijk, who went on to state, "We will also concentrate on education and prevention, and work on plans to ensure that the affected victim receives optimal treatment. Ultimately, the aim will be to find new ways to treat a disease that is largely resistant to most forms of traditional therapy."
As a relevant note, while it was PM Rudd who officially dedicated the Sydney cancer center, the politician has recently come under fire from the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU), a worker organization that accuses the Australian government of serious failures in enforcing a nationwide ban on asbestos. The ACTU, as well as five its major unions, recently sent a letter to PM Rudd, wherein it was stated that the government must establish an "asbestos task force" to investigate the thousands of daily exposures to asbestos that occur in Australia every day-many of those needlessly endangered by asbestos being Australian Navy and other military personnel. Sharan Burrow is the President of the ACTU, and she called PM Rudd's dedication of the BBADRI a "hollow gesture" by the government leader who has, to date, "failed to act to protect Australians from the very real dangers of exposure to asbestos."
At the dedication, PM Rudd stated, "Next year, around 750 Australians will be diagnosed with asbestos-related disease," and that "these are bad figures." Rudd went on to say that by 2020, Australia would be faced with over 13,000 cases of asbestos-caused mesothelioma. Bad figures, indeed, but Bernie Banton's cancer center will be there to help solve the mystery of this dreaded disease.
Monday, 16 February 2009
Meridian News Interview
Thursday 20th November 2008
Please click on the link to watch Meridian news.
http://www.itvlocal.com/meridian/news/?player=MER_News_15&void=260535
Please click on the link to watch Meridian news.
http://www.itvlocal.com/meridian/news/?player=MER_News_15&void=260535
Wednesday, 11 February 2009
Mesothelioma Awareness Day Friday 27th February 2009
This month sees the launch of the fourth annual Action Mesothelioma Day, which culminates on Friday 27th February 2009. During this time health charities, asbestos support groups, healthcare professionals, families and people living with mesothelioma will be campaigning to improve the treatment and care of people who are affected by the disease.
The British Lung Foundation will be publishing the results of our survey into the experiences and needs of people who have been affected by mesothelioma. We will also be campaigning for full implementation of the Mesothelioma Framework by publishing the result of our audit of NHS services and the degree to which they adhere to the standards that have been set the Department of Health.
The BLF will also be focusing on the forthcoming Coroners Bill and how it could work to improve the experience of those who have been bereaved by mesothelioma. The Bill is currently passing through Parliament and the reception is therefore an ideal opportunity to discuss with MPs how inquiries are carried out following a death from mesothelioma and how the Coroners Bill can ensure that coroner’s inquiries are carried out in a way that is sensitive to the needs of the bereaved.
You can support Action Mesothelioma Day 2009 by emailing your MP to ask them to support the campaign. To do so simply click here and enter your name and address.
There are also a range of Action Mesothelioma Day events taking place throughout the UK. To find out where an event is taking place near you please click here.
It only takes a few minutes to show your support and by getting this message to MPs you can make a real difference to the lives of those people with mesothelioma.
For more information about this campaign please email campaigning@blf-uk.org
The British Lung Foundation will be publishing the results of our survey into the experiences and needs of people who have been affected by mesothelioma. We will also be campaigning for full implementation of the Mesothelioma Framework by publishing the result of our audit of NHS services and the degree to which they adhere to the standards that have been set the Department of Health.
The BLF will also be focusing on the forthcoming Coroners Bill and how it could work to improve the experience of those who have been bereaved by mesothelioma. The Bill is currently passing through Parliament and the reception is therefore an ideal opportunity to discuss with MPs how inquiries are carried out following a death from mesothelioma and how the Coroners Bill can ensure that coroner’s inquiries are carried out in a way that is sensitive to the needs of the bereaved.
You can support Action Mesothelioma Day 2009 by emailing your MP to ask them to support the campaign. To do so simply click here and enter your name and address.
There are also a range of Action Mesothelioma Day events taking place throughout the UK. To find out where an event is taking place near you please click here.
It only takes a few minutes to show your support and by getting this message to MPs you can make a real difference to the lives of those people with mesothelioma.
For more information about this campaign please email campaigning@blf-uk.org
Thursday, 5 February 2009
Yang recieves MARF grant for Meso study
Research scientist Haining Yang, MD, PhD, has been selected to receive a two-year, $100,000 grant from the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation (MARF) to study the mechanism of how asbestos causes mesothelioma. She hopes the research will aid in the development of effective prevention and therapeutic interventions, according to a report in the Honolulu Advertiser. Yang is a scientist at the Cancer Research Center of Hawaii, in the Thoracic Oncology Program.
Yang was one of five recipients of the MARF grant, and was selected from among 59 applicants in an international competition. Her research project will include an early detection study of mesothelioma in targeted villages in Turkey that show a high incidence of the disease, the paper reports.
In addition to the MARF grant, Yang will recieve $120,000 from the Hawaii Community Foundation Leahi Fund that will help support her research.
According to the Honolulu Advertiser, people in Hawaii are familiar with mesothelioma because it often affects people who worked in the naval shipyards at Pearl Harbor, as a result of exposure to asbestos used in shipbuilding for years.
The Cancer Research Center of Hawaii is a reserach unit of the University of Hawaii. It was established as a freestanding independent institute in 1981. On July 1, 1996, the Center became a National Cancer Institute (NCI) designated center, and was awarded the Cancer Center Support Grant. The Center is located in Honolulu, Hawaii. Its mission is to “reduce the burden of cancer through research, education, and service with an emphasis on the unique ethnic, cultural and environmental characteristics of Hawaii and the Pacific.”
Related posts:
UH mesothelioma research recognized
CDC grant for possible Ground Zero illnesses
DoD funding for Meso research
DoD appropriations bill has meso funding request
National Mesothelioma Virtual Bank operational
Yang was one of five recipients of the MARF grant, and was selected from among 59 applicants in an international competition. Her research project will include an early detection study of mesothelioma in targeted villages in Turkey that show a high incidence of the disease, the paper reports.
In addition to the MARF grant, Yang will recieve $120,000 from the Hawaii Community Foundation Leahi Fund that will help support her research.
According to the Honolulu Advertiser, people in Hawaii are familiar with mesothelioma because it often affects people who worked in the naval shipyards at Pearl Harbor, as a result of exposure to asbestos used in shipbuilding for years.
The Cancer Research Center of Hawaii is a reserach unit of the University of Hawaii. It was established as a freestanding independent institute in 1981. On July 1, 1996, the Center became a National Cancer Institute (NCI) designated center, and was awarded the Cancer Center Support Grant. The Center is located in Honolulu, Hawaii. Its mission is to “reduce the burden of cancer through research, education, and service with an emphasis on the unique ethnic, cultural and environmental characteristics of Hawaii and the Pacific.”
Related posts:
UH mesothelioma research recognized
CDC grant for possible Ground Zero illnesses
DoD funding for Meso research
DoD appropriations bill has meso funding request
National Mesothelioma Virtual Bank operational
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