Shipyard Workers Warned of Asbestos Risks

January 10, 2007 - Former shipyard workers in the Cumbria region of England are getting sick, according to an article in the News & Star.  Health professionals in the area are noticing “an alarming trend” pointing towards asbestos-related illnesses and fear these cases may just be the tip of the iceberg for those who worked at the nearby Vickers Shipyard in Barrow.

A law firm that is currently holding free advice sessions in the area notes that – at one time – nearly everyone in the town worked at the shipyard.  This has no doubt prompted the large numbers of ill residents in Barrow. 

Previous to the advice sessions, little was said about the affects of asbestos on shipyard workers, former employees note.  They feel as if the shipyard attempted to hide the dangers of asbestos from those who worked with and around it every day for decades.

Solicitor Sharon Rigby, who’s been running the clinics, agrees, and wants former shipbuilders to come forward and learn the facts. 

“Ill health conditions can then develop much later in life due to the asbestos exposure and we are urging people to seek advice as soon as possible,” Rigby told the News & Star.

“It can take between 10 and 50 years for a person to show an asbestos-related condition after exposure and it is important that those who have worked at Vickers come forward as they may have been affected by asbestos.”