Asbestos News

The widow of a UK mesothelioma victim is speaking out to make sure that others don't endure the same fate as her husband.

Graham Butterfield died earlier this year at the age of 64 from malignant mesothelioma, according to the Telegraph & Argus. A recent coroner's inquest found that he contracted the illness while working at a number of schools in the Bradford area.

After the inquest Marilyn Butterfield expressed surprise that her teacher husband endured a fate usually reserved for blue-collar workers in industries like ship-building and pipe-fitting.

"You often hear about workers in heavy industry becoming ill in later life but Graham was a teacher and we were shocked when Graham was told that he had an asbestos disease," she said, reports the news source. "I cannot believe that he was exposed to this dust in a teaching environment which should be a safe place for our children to learn."

Butterfield called upon all lawmakers to examine asbestos policies so that those who work and learn in school buildings don't contract an asbestos-related disease such as asbestosis and lung cancer.