Electrician who worked for ICI wins Mesothelioma legal battle

2011 - Mr J received Compensation payment of £120,000

Mr J worked for ICI (Imperial Chemical Industries PLC) from 1955 to 1962 and then again between 1976 and 1992.
As a result of consistant exposure to asbestos during this time, he was recently diagnosed with mesothelioma.
Our solicitors were instructed shortly afterwards and the case was settled for £120,000 four months later.

Asbestos Exposure at ICI in Northwich

Initially, as a 15 year old boy, he worked in a 'gang' at the ICI Winnington Works in Northwich. The gangs were responsible for cleaning the plants at ICI. During that time, he recalls cleaning up asbestos chippings that had come off the pipework.

They were not informed by ICI of the dangers of asbestos nor were given any protective clothing or respiratory devices and as young lads, they even played football with the asbestos.

Asbestos at ICI

Having spent 3 months as a cleaner, he trained for 6 months to be an electrician.

He was then sent out to various different plants to carry out his apprenticeship. These included The ICI Avenue works, ICI Winnington works, ICI Waltershaw works and ICI Lockstock works. Often the wires that needed repairing were close to pipework that was lagged with asbestos.

The pipes were often in a very bad state and asbestos lagging would be chipped and the asbestos was easily disturbed when electrical maintenance work needed to be carried out.

Mr J regularly worked alongside fitters and laggers who were repairing pipework. This would result in swirls of asbestos dust in the atmosphere, sometimes the asbestos was left lying around for a few days. There was miles of asbestos lagged pipework at ICI which had to be regularly maintained. There were also various passageways under the plants and he would often have to crawl between the pipework and chipped off asbestos.

Working with Asbestos at ICI Wallerscote

Mr J left ICI in 1962, but returned to in 1976 and went back to the ICI Wallerscote works, where he was put into another gang called MCEG (Mid Cheshire Engineering Group). The gang was required to attend all over the works to carry out the heavy maintenance work. Much of the old machinery, pipework and cables were coated with asbestos, which had to be broken down and became damaged as the machinery was removed, so they were in direct contact with asbestos.

At the ICI Winnington works, asbestos readings were being carried out to ensure that all the asbestos had been removed. The asbestos reading monitors still showed positive readings even though this was being carried out in the late 80s and early 90s. ICI had supposedly ensured that all the asbestos had been removed and these checks were being carried out to essentially rubber stamp this. They still were not provided with any respiratory devices to protect from the asbestos dust.

Mesothelioma after working for ICI?

If you were exposed to asbestos at ICI and have recently been diagnosed with mesothelioma, we can offer advice on how to seek compensation. Contact us by calling our freephone number: 0800 923 0046 and ask for Warren Miller or Kathy Cooke.

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Solicitor

Helen Childs

Helen Childs

Lead Solicitor

Helen is our lead solicitor and a partner at Royds Withy King Solicitors. Helen is recognised as a Leading Lawyer by the Legal 500, where she is described as an exceptional partner with a huge capacity for work and an unerring willingness to fight for her clients and an excellent knowledge of asbestos litigation..   Read more >

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