Asbestos News

A coroner's inquest in the UK recently heard that a woman's on the job asbestos exposure led to her death.

According to the Oxford Times, 86-year-old Elizabeth Stephenson worked at the Morris Motor car factory in Cowley for six months in the late 1950s. During this period, asbestos was used in a variety of industries due to its insulating properties and resistance to fire and heat.

However, it became known by the mid-1960s that exposure to the naturally occurring mineral could cause malignant mesothelioma, asbestosis and lung cancer.

This final illness reportedly contributed to Stephenson's death. The woman also had colon and bowel cancer.

Coroner Nicholas Gardiner said at the inquest that Stephenson was exposed to asbestos on the job and that that likely contributed to her death.

"On the balance of probability, she was exposed to asbestos at work at the motor factory. It is well known for that type of problem," he said. "I shall be recording that she died from an industrial disease."

Stephenson passed away this past December at Sobell House Hospice, reports the news provider.