MesotheliomaWeb.Org serves as one of the leading sites for news and updates on malignant mesothelioma. The site provides updates on the progress, treatment and diagnosis of this dangerous disease. Recent studies conducted by government worker safety agencies in Great Britain have shown a steep increase in the incidence rates for mesothelioma. The British Health and Safety Executive (HSE) released a report detailing the expected rise in mesothelioma in a specific region of the country.
The HSE report tells of how workers in northeast England have reported the highest death rates from mesothelioma on record. At least for hundred workers in and around the Cumbria region die from mesothelioma each year. The area once housed major manufacturing and construction concerns. The plants and construction sites often handled asbestos, a hazardous mineral once used widely in fireproofing and insulation. Asbestos exposure is the only known cause of mesothelioma.
The Trades Union Congress, a collection of labor unions, has created the Northern Asbestos Support and Campaign Group in an effort to help those afflicted with the disease. The effort was launched on 28 April, commemorated in Great Britain as Workers’ Memorial Day. The group is one of the first to be dedicated toward the sole purpose of rendering aid and support to workers impacted by mesothelioma and other forms of asbestos-related respiratory disorders in the region.
In addition to a public service campaign geared toward education workers on the dangers of asbestos, the group will also provide services such as walk-in clinics, home assistance and telephone support for victims. Across the UK, more than two thousand people die from mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases every year, making it the country’s largest cause of workplace deaths.
Michael Blench, the group’s chairman, was a worker at Swan Hunter, one of the area’s major ship construction and repair yards. Over the years, the Swan Hunter facility and numerous others in the region used asbestos as insulation on dozens of ships. The material’s light weight, low cost and resistance to heat made it an ideal fireproofing material, but BBC reported Mr. Blench said that loose mineral fibers cost many of his colleagues their health.
He spoke about the “devastating impact” that asbestos exposure has had on his former coworkers and their families. He mentioned how many of them had developed lung disorders, such as pleural plaques and pleural thickening, in addition to mesothelioma. He said that he hopes that the group will give workers “much-needed help and advice” about the hazards involved with asbestos in the workplace.
Northern Trades Union Congress Regional Secretary Kevin Rowan also lauded the group’s mission. He was reported to say that victims and their families would receive “practical support” from qualified health care professionals at no cost. He also said that the group would work with “other interested organizations” that deal with worker health and safety issues to educate, support and aid workers and their families dealing with asbestos-related diseases. Some of those organizations would include labor unions, legal firms and healthcare professionals that can provide the infrastructure for the group’s efforts.
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