A BLACKFIELD pensioner died from a lung condition caused by working at an oil refinery. 

Isabella Taggart died on August 12 after exposure to asbestos. 

The 79-year-old had worked as a caterer at Fawley Oil Refinery from 1967 until her retirement in 1996, and in a statement in 2005 said she was often exposed to asbestos dust as she served the workers their lunch. 

The Winchester inquest heard that workers did not remove their protective clothing while dining in the canteen and the dust came off their clothes.

In 1973 Mrs Taggart was made a supervisor and in the statement said she would often walk past bags of broken asbestos which had been removed and stored. 

“I was never warned of the dangers of asbestos or provided with protective equipment,” she said. 

Dr Vidhi Bhargava, consultant histopathologist at Southampton General Hospital, said there “must have been significant long-term exposure” to the dust and Mrs Taggart had a lung infection when she died at her home in Dark Lane. 

Senior Hampshire coroner Grahame Short said the asbestos damaged her lungs leading to recurrent chest infections which caused her death. He ruled an industrial verdict.