A FORMER electrician from York died after being exposed to lethal asbestos dust while working at the city's carriageworks, an inquest heard.
On leaving school in the mid-1950s at the age of 15, Graham Sidebottom, 67, of Teddar Road, in Acomb, York, followed in the footsteps of his father and worked as an apprentice electrician at the British Rail carriageworks, in Holgate Road.
Mr Sidebottom, who worked there until 1992, died in May last year. The inquest was told his death was caused by malignant mesothelioma.
In a statement signed by Mr Sidebottom in January last year, he said: "My doctors feel I do have mesothelioma, particularly because of my exposure to asbestos dust and fibres during the course of my employment with British Rail."
In the statement, Mr Sidebottom, who had been smoking up until a few weeks before his death, said he had recollections as a young man of screwing up the asbestos into balls and throwing it "just for fun".
He said that while he was never told to wear a mask to do his job, no one knew how dangerous asbestos was.
He said he worked like this until about 1967, but from about 1971 exposure to asbestos dust had reduced.
York coroner Donald Coverdale said: "The statement Mr Sidebottom gave to his solicitor contains all the information I require and of course that does confirm exposure to asbestos while working at British Rail carriageworks for a considerable number of years. It's apparent from his statement he didn't have any protection in the form of a face mask."
Mr Coverdale said he had no doubt asbestos would have been thoroughly ingrained in Mr Sidebottom's clothes.
Mr Coverdale said: "There's only one verdict - that's that he has died from the industrial disease of mesothelioma." Speaking after the inquest, Mr Sidebottom's widow, Joyce Sidebottom, 62, said: "It's an awful way to die."
Mr Sidebottom died on May 2, 2007, at St Leonard's Hospice, in Tadcaster Road, York.
Kim Daniells, chairwoman of the York Asbestos Support Group, said: "The only known cause of malignant mesothelioma is asbestos exposure. The number of deaths from this condition continues to rise as a result of the working practises that were in place in the latter half of the 20th century.
"This further tragic death is just one in a long line of those that we're seeing of former employees at the carriageworks and from industry across the UK generally."
She said if anybody was worried about previous exposure to asbestos, or would like advice about asbestos diseases, or wanted support, they could contact the support group on 07787 120317.
Source:http://www.yorkpress.co.uk
On leaving school in the mid-1950s at the age of 15, Graham Sidebottom, 67, of Teddar Road, in Acomb, York, followed in the footsteps of his father and worked as an apprentice electrician at the British Rail carriageworks, in Holgate Road.
Mr Sidebottom, who worked there until 1992, died in May last year. The inquest was told his death was caused by malignant mesothelioma.
In a statement signed by Mr Sidebottom in January last year, he said: "My doctors feel I do have mesothelioma, particularly because of my exposure to asbestos dust and fibres during the course of my employment with British Rail."
In the statement, Mr Sidebottom, who had been smoking up until a few weeks before his death, said he had recollections as a young man of screwing up the asbestos into balls and throwing it "just for fun".
He said that while he was never told to wear a mask to do his job, no one knew how dangerous asbestos was.
He said he worked like this until about 1967, but from about 1971 exposure to asbestos dust had reduced.
York coroner Donald Coverdale said: "The statement Mr Sidebottom gave to his solicitor contains all the information I require and of course that does confirm exposure to asbestos while working at British Rail carriageworks for a considerable number of years. It's apparent from his statement he didn't have any protection in the form of a face mask."
Mr Coverdale said he had no doubt asbestos would have been thoroughly ingrained in Mr Sidebottom's clothes.
Mr Coverdale said: "There's only one verdict - that's that he has died from the industrial disease of mesothelioma." Speaking after the inquest, Mr Sidebottom's widow, Joyce Sidebottom, 62, said: "It's an awful way to die."
Mr Sidebottom died on May 2, 2007, at St Leonard's Hospice, in Tadcaster Road, York.
Kim Daniells, chairwoman of the York Asbestos Support Group, said: "The only known cause of malignant mesothelioma is asbestos exposure. The number of deaths from this condition continues to rise as a result of the working practises that were in place in the latter half of the 20th century.
"This further tragic death is just one in a long line of those that we're seeing of former employees at the carriageworks and from industry across the UK generally."
She said if anybody was worried about previous exposure to asbestos, or would like advice about asbestos diseases, or wanted support, they could contact the support group on 07787 120317.
Source:http://www.yorkpress.co.uk
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