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Asbestos exposure and lung cancer death

officechick
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Hi I'm new here and saying hello

Myself, my late husband and I have all unwittingly drilled holes at various times into the inside of a hallway cupboard which I've recently become aware might be asbestos. I previously asked my landlord if there's any asbestos in the property after my ceiling fell down a few years ago as I was worried in case there was any asbestos in the ceiling or dust that was everywhere and their surveyor said that he can categorically tell me they have no asbestos in their properties. I've been asking since January for them to arrange testing of the damaged door lining (which is missing a massive chunk from the corner which appears to have been painted over before I moved in) the contractor visited last week and took a sample for testing and called me yesterday to say it is definitely an asbestos door lining and we made arrangements to wrap it and remove it next week. my husband had throat cancer in 2013 and then he unfortunately developed lung cancer and sadly died in 2017. It was squamous cell carcinoma and he was a heavy smoker. Now I'm wondering what if asbestos exposure contributed. I'm also worried about both mine and my son's health.


Should I be asking my landlord to organise cancer screening and do you think I need a lawyer and should we ask for a sample to be retained and made safe so we have proof?
 

 

  • Hello and thank you for your post,

    I am very sorry to hear that your husband died of cancer.

    I realise that it can be a worry if asbestos has been found in the home. The cancers that are associated with asbestos are mesothelioma of the lung and the peritoneum (abdomen). These types of cancer are rare. The people that are most at risk of developing them have been exposed to asbestos as part of their job for a number of years.  

    There are now very strict rules and regulations about handling asbestos at work and in the home.  Each council in the UK will have information about services that can safely dispose of asbestos found in the home.  If you click here  you will see the GOV.org website with a link for you to find these services where you live. 

    In the UK the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has up to date and useful information about asbestos, if you have not already read it please do, you can see it here 

    On our website we also have information about asbestos and it's link with cancer. Hopefully you can see that the risks associated with it is mostly related to people who have worked with it, particularly if this was before safety legislation was brought into the work place. You can see our information about it here     The NHS also has some useful information here 

    There is no screening for people who have come across asbestos in their home. This is a rare cancer that usually takes 20- 30 years to develop.  

    I am afraid that we cannot advice you about a lawyer. 

    I hope this has been of some help and that you are able to safely dispose of this door.

    Yours sincerely,

    Caroline 

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