Blog: A Family’s Tragic History with Asbestos

Dan Williamson from HSE’s Digital Team has chosen to share his family’s profound story of asbestos exposure, the devastating toll mesothelioma has taken on them, and the importance of ongoing asbestos safety initiatives.

 

My old man was from London and my mum moved down there when they got married. I was born and raised in Croydon, but we would come back up to Cumbria to visit her family during school holidays. We’d stay with my nan and grandad and see many of my uncles and cousins.

My grandad worked his whole life as a steelworker, he was joined by his two sons there in the ’70s.

I was only five years old when we lost Grandad, but I do remember the gap his death left in the family. He was only in his early 60’s.

In 2000, my uncle passed away, also due to mesothelioma. He died a few weeks before my wedding, but he also missed out on seeing his own children get married and have their own families. I’d seen my uncle a few months before and was struck by how he’d diminished from this huge bear of a man, down to skin and bone with a weak voice.

And then, in 2010, Dad was next…

He was an engineer in the oil industry. A lot of his work through the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s took him all around the world inspecting oil rigs where asbestos was commonly used as insulation.

Eventually, the shadow of mesothelioma fell on us again. And I guess the biggest impact on me was watching my own father go through the same thing we’d seen twice before.

Dad received incredible healthcare support through private and NHS treatment. Dad signed up for every trial he could, but by then I think he knew his battle was ultimately going to be a losing one. In spite of that he still took part in those trials, wanting to do his bit for those diagnosed in the future. I also suspect he was a bit bored! They tried new things to try and slow it down, but to no avail.

Unlike my uncle, dad wasn’t a big guy himself, but incredibly capable – he could literally do anything. Seeing him so reliant on care from others was tough, knowing how much he would have hated it.

I watched dad wither and die, paralysed and bedbound surrounded by my dear old mother, me and my two sisters. He was 68.

In all three instances of mesothelioma in my family the time from diagnosis to death was mercifully short. But all three would have known there is no cure, and their time was up.

My other uncle is thankfully alive and well, enjoying his retirement.

Asbestos risks hidden in plain sight

It is only since my grandad, my uncle and my dad died from this disease that I realise how exposed we would all have been to asbestos, with so much dust coming into the family houses on their work clothes. Its staggering.

Awareness campaigns like these are crucial. They make a significant difference in reducing future asbestos-related illnesses by educating and protecting today’s workforce.

 

The Asbestos – Your Duty campaign raises awareness of the legal duty to manage asbestos in buildings in those responsible for maintenance and repair of non-domestic buildings built before the year 2000

This includes factories, warehouses, offices and shops; and public buildings like hospitals, schools, premises used for religious worship, museums and libraries.

Visit the campaign page to learn more and access resources to support dutyholders: