Asbestos claims life of another worker's wife

5:30am Wednesday 5th December 2007

Comments (4)   Have your say »

ANOTHER Southampton woman has died as a result of washing her husband's asbestos covered work clothes.

It is the second ruling of death by industrial disease to be made by Southampton Coroner's Court in a week and now campaigners warn similar cases are expected as the effects of the lethal material continue to surface.

For years Florence Jerrim would welcome her husband Leonard home from work without knowing the asbestos dust on his clothes and in his hair would later cause her to die from lung cancer, the inquest heard.

Mrs Jerrim, 84, died at home in Manor Road North in Itchen, Southampton after a short battle against mesothelioma caused by contact with the deadly material.

Campaigners from Hampshire Asbestos and Awareness Support say more awareness is needed for what could be a substantial cause of death amongst relatives of those who worked with asbestos.

Diane McLellan, who set up the charity to help victims of diseases related from contact with asbestos, said it is a serious problem.

"It is very concerning to hear of these two cases in a week although on the whole they are much fewer than those where people have come in direct contact with asbestos at work.

"But it is very serious and it's one of those things that people might not think about until they become affected by it," she said.

Mrs McLellan said that it would be difficult to know how many women would be at risk because the toxic material affects people differently.

She added that experts estimate a rise in asbestos related deaths over the next decade, peaking in 2020.

"It is predicted there will be a dip then, but so much is unknown it is hard to determine any facts or figures," she said.

The charity is currently backing a move that will recognise compensation payments for those who are diagnosed with asbestos as a result of their spouse's contact with the lethal material.

"It is looking like Parliament will pass the new compensation law next year and it shows just how serious this problem is," she added.

Southampton coroner Keith Wiseman read out a statement written by Mrs Jerrim about her illness before she died in September. She stated that her husband did not talk much about his job as a sailmaker but he would also fit lagging on pipes on to merchant ships and come home covered in asbestos dust.

"They would wash his overalls at work but his clothes would need washing on a daily basis. He would come home with dust on his clothes and in his hair," she said.

As reported by the Daily Echo, Valerie Gregory, 70, also died after a five-year battle against mesothelioma after cleaning her husband's asbestos covered work clothes.