What are the most common farming accidents?
Over 300,000 people in Britain work in the agricultural sector today. Many farmers and farm workers were raised in farming families or communities and are proud of the rewarding work...
The family of a woman who worked at the GPO (now British Telecommunications PLC) in Kent in the 1960s has issued an emotional appeal for help after her death from the asbestos-related disease, mesothelioma.
Susan Ward worked at the GPO’s Crayford Telephone Exchange in Kent as a PBX telephone operator from 1960 until 1968/69.
Her son, Adam Ward, has instructed Novum Law’s specialist asbestos disease solicitors to help investigate how she came to be in contact with asbestos while working at the telephone exchange.
Our appeal is to anyone who worked with Susan or who worked at Crayford Telephone Exchange as an engineer or maintenance worker and who may have knowledge of the asbestos in the PBX boards, systems, and cables, or who may have been involved in any refurbishment work that was carried out there in the 1960s.
Throughout her time at GPO, Susan pulled cables in and out of the PBX system to connect various exchange lines. She was also present while a large redevelopment of the exchange took place. During the refurbishment of the buildings, Susan worked close to workers including maintenance men and building engineers.
Sadly, Susan died of mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lungs, on 27 February 2019. Her condition progressed rapidly, and she died very quickly following her diagnosis. Before her illness, she was fully independent and had a happy and active life.
Adam said:
“I am totally devastated by Mum’s death as she was so healthy and full of life. Seeing her deteriorate so quickly was very upsetting and the whole family miss her so much.”
Specialist asbestos disease solicitor, Rebecca Ryan, who is helping Adam with his search for justice, said:
“Mesothelioma is an incurable cancer which causes significant suffering for its victims and their families. It doesn’t usually develop until many years after exposure to asbestos and can typically take anything from 15 to 60 years. Unfortunately, thousands of people die each year due to just going about their everyday working lives and being exposed to deadly asbestos dust.
“Understandably, Susan’s family were extremely upset to learn that her premature death was caused by exposure to asbestos at work, and we are really hoping that this appeal for information will help us find some answers for them.”
“We are appealing specifically to anybody who worked at the Crayford Telephone Exchange in Kent who may have or generally.”
If you have any information about the Crayford Telephone Exchange in Kent, or have any knowledge of asbestos present in either Susan’s role as a telephone operator, in the building itself or as work was carried out in the 1960s, that may assist Adam and his family, please call 0800 884 0777, email Rebecca Ryan on: rryan@novumlaw.com or complete our online form.
