Gloucestershire man died as a result of asbestos exposure
By Court reporter | 10th February 2023
An Eastington man who died as a result of asbestos exposure had once worked on dismantling a business premises which was 'suffused' with the deadly mineral, an inquest heard today (February 9).
Martin King, 75, of Alperton Terrace, Eastington, had been a general builder and worked for a number of firms during his career, the Gloucester inquest was told.
However, he recalled that in his eary twenties he had taken part in the demolition of a business where 'asbestos was very prevalent.'
He died on March 28, 2022, and post mortem tests revealed that he had an asbestos fibre count of 11,886 per gram of lung tissue - a level which although not high was consistent with exposure to the material.
Before his death he had been suffering from progressive shortness of breath and had been diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis and Type 2 Diabetes. Post mortem tests revealed he was Covid 19 positive when he died.
The cause of death was given by the pathologist as pulmonary fibrosis secondary to asbestos exposure.
The assistant Gloucestershire Coroner Roland Wooderson reviewed Mr King's employment history which included periods of working for Dolphin Showers and also Cotswold Refrigeration as well as other firms.
Mr King's widow said the period when he worked with asbestos was in the early 1960s and he had subsequently told her about it.
The coroner recorded a narrative conclusion saying: "The pathology report shows that the mineral fibres were relatively low but not inconsistent with exposure to asbestos. Mr King's widow confirms that he had previously worked in an environment where asbestos was present."
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