Asbestos News

A plumber from Carlisle, UK, reportedly wrote about how he was exposed to deadly asbestos on the job during the early part of his career, which reportedly led to his death from malignant mesothelioma.

According to the News & Star, David Irwin died at the age of 60 in July after he contracted the rare cancer. Before his death, the former plumber reportedly recalled days when he would repair gutters containing the carcinogenic material, using a handsaw to cut them down.

"I could not escape the dust," Irwin said. "There was dust on my hands as we handled them and when we collected broken pieces and swept up. It was a very dirty and dusty job, and the dust used to get everywhere, all over my boiler suit and my hair."

Unfortunately, cases like these are not uncommon among blue collar workers, as asbestos was used in industries such as automobile manufacturing, ship building and construction for many years. All told, asbestos-related diseases such as mesothelioma, asbestosis and lung cancer kill approximately 107,000 people around the world each year, according to the World Health Organization.