Asbestos Litigation

A Welsh company that has manufactured socks for Prince Charles has been accused of exposing its employees to dangerous asbestos after hiring unqualified contractors, according to the South Wales Evening Post.

The news source reports an anonymous tip led officials with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to Corgi Hosiery's operations in Pantyffynnon, where they found what appeared to be asbestos roofing materials that had not been properly disposed of.

The HSE decided to immediately evacuate the company from the facility, and testing from 14 different places each found asbestos. The contractor, which was hired for roofing work, has been accused of leaving the asbestos where it was after realizing it was the carcinogenic material, the Post reported.

Exposure to asbestos can have serious consequences including the development of lung cancer, asbestosis and malignant mesothelioma, a rare cancer. According to the World Health Organization, approximately 107,000 people around the world succumb to asbestos-related illnesses each year.

The news source reported Prince Charles visited the Corgi factory that is being investigated in June 2010.