Daughter of Insulation Factory Workers Dies of Meso

January 31, 2007 - A 68-year-old British woman whose parents worked at the Cape Insulation factory has died of mesothelioma, just 6 days after being diagnosed with the disease.

A report in the Halifax Evening Courier notes the Jean Greenwood was exposed to asbestos dust that was brought home on the clothes of her parents after a day of work at the factory.  The asbestos processing company for which they worked had moved into tiny Acre Mill, Old Town, Hebden Bridge in 1939 to meet the demands for producing filters for gas masks during the Second World War.

While Greenwood’s mother died in a car accident in the 1940s, her father continued to come home each day with his overalls covered in white dust.  Before her death, Jean had recalled spending time with her father after work each day before he showered and changed his clothes.  Experts agree that this kind of exposure likely caused Greenwood’s mesothelioma.

Jean’s husband, Norman, remembers his wife fondly but is angered by the asbestos exposure at Cape Insulation, which has already taken the lives of many other Hebden Bridge residents.

"She was a live-wire, so much fun and she never complained. I think the dust must have been shaken from her father's clothes,” he added.  "I'm sure she would have had a laugh and a hug with him when he came home. I am livid. If her dad had not worked at Cape she would still be with us."

He adds that he remembers working in Hebden Bridge in the late 1960s and seeing Cape workers in town at lunchtime covered in white asbestos dust.  "It has devastated families in Hebden Bridge," he said.