Mesothelioma News

A UK man who worked for most of his career in a shoe-making factory was determined to have died from asbestos-caused malignant mesothelioma.

In a statement prepared before his death, James Whittaker said that he was exposed to asbestos while in the Royal Navy, according to ThisIsLancashire.com. Whittaker said that the pipes of the ships he served on were lagged with asbestos.

The man, who died short of his 86th birthday, said that he was also exposed to hazardous substances while working at Newchurch Boot Company. He said he was not given any safety equipment to protect himself.

"I never wore a mask or was asked to wear a mask," he said, reports the news provider.

Many blue-collar jobs in decades past involved exposure to asbestos as the substance was used as an insulator and flame retardant. Making the problem worse is that these workers - like Whittaker - where rarely given equipment to protect themselves from exposure. This sort of exposure has been proven to cause asbestosis, lung cancer and malignant mesothelioma, the disease that claimed Whittaker's life.

In Burnley Magistrates’ Court, coroner Richard Taylor recorded Whittaker's death as being the result of an industrial disease.