Asbestos News

The daughter of a Canadian man who passed away as a result of being exposed to asbestos during his working career has become an advocate for victims of asbestos-related illnesses, the Sarnia Observer reports.

According to the news source, Joe Portiss was forced to stop working at the age of 41 because of the asbestos-related illness he was suffering from. His daughter, Laura Guill, said that her father continued to serve as an advocate for workers' rights even after he was forced to retire.

"For as far back as I can remember our home was always like an open complaints department," she told the news provider. "Workers could come to the door seeking my dad’s help because they didn’t know what to do, or in many cases were too afraid to speak out themselves."

Guill, who recently participated in the Walk to Remember Victims of Asbestos in Sarnia, has decided to dedicate much of her life to raising awareness for those who have been affected by the carcinogenic substance, the Observer reports.

Asbestosis, lung cancer and malignant mesothelioma, a rare cancer, are among the illnesses that have been tied to asbestos exposure. Such diseases account for the deaths of approximately 107,000 people across the globe each year, according to the World Health Organization.