Remember Victims of Occupational Asbestos Exposure – International Workers’ Memorial Day 2025
International Workers’ Memorial Day (IWMD), also known as International Commemoration Day (ICD) in some countries, is a commemorative day that remembers those who have lost their lives or suffered injuries due to their work. International Workers’ Memorial Day is held on 28th April every year.
At Hodge Jones & Allen Solicitors we believe that every worker deserves a safe workplace of work as a basic human right. Sadly, despite progress in health and safety regulations, far too many workers still face preventable accidents and even fatalities when at work, not to mention having to tackle workplace illnesses that can arise due to the fact that certain substances lie latent within old buildings and structures and can result in industrial deaths. One of the most obvious examples would be asbestos related diseases which, despite asbestos imports to the UK being fully banned in 1999, remains the biggest cause of industrial deaths in the UK. The numbers are represented not just by mesothelioma but a significant proportion through the development of lung cancer and asbestosis
Asbestos Remains a Silent Killer
Asbestos fibres present a significant danger, quietly claiming thousands of lives annually through diseases including mesothelioma, asbestos related lung cancer and asbestosis. As mentioned above despite the fact that asbestos has been banned in the UK since 1999, its harmful impact persists, underlining the necessity for strict regulations and improved management to shield people from inhaling asbestos dust.
For those who develop an asbestos related condition, it is often decades after their exposure to asbestos dust took place. Our clients today were often exposed to asbestos materials between the 1950s and 1980s. That previous exposure cannot be changed but current and future exposure to asbestos dust is wholly preventable.
Recent investigations into asbestos materials in public buildings have uncovered its extensive presence in our daily environments including in hospitals, surgeries, schools and office blocks. This threat isn’t confined to traditional industrial sectors but affects a variety of professions, including teachers, nurses and shop and office workers. Those in these roles may unknowingly work in close proximity to potentially cancerous materials that can cause incurable illnesses.
The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has stated that, alarmingly, 80% of NHS Trusts operate hospitals where asbestos is present, emphasising the urgent need to address this concealed hazard to stop current workers dying in the future from asbestos diseases.
Remembering a True Hero this International Workers’ Memorial Day
Last year in remembrance of International Workers’ Memorial Day we reflected on the legacy of Nellie Kershaw, the first named victim of Asbestos disease in 1924. Her death was the first to be officially recognised as being due to “pulmonary asbestosis,” with the term “asbestosis” used by Dr. W. E. Cooke in his 1924 report of her case to the British Medical Journal.
This year we’d like to commemorate International Workers’ Memorial Day by highlighting another notable figure in Nancy Tait, who was the founder of the world’s first Asbestos Victims’ related group in 1978, called The Society for the Prevention of Asbestosis and Industrial Diseases (SPAID).
Nancy Tait did not die of an asbestos-related disease but was a victim as her husband Bill died of pleural mesothelioma in 1968. As a telephone engineer, Bill had been routinely exposed to asbestos dust at work, a fact that his employer continued to deny. It took four years after Bill’s death for Nancy to finally force the authorities to admit legal blame for his disease, only to be heartbroken twice over by the insulting offer made to settle the claim by his former employers. Her anger and hurt only inspired the resolve and determination that would become her calling in life.
Bill’s death motivated Nancy to dedicate the rest of her life to help others overcome the medical, legal and social barriers which often prevent victims from accessing the treatment they needed and the compensation they deserve and so led to the establishment of The Society for the Prevention of
Asbestosis and Industrial Diseases (SPAID) in 1978. SPAID was the first group anywhere in the world to lobby for the needs of asbestos victims. It was a registered charity which offered free advice and support to victims and family members, with Nancy frequently representing those needing assistance at coroner’s offices, at parliamentary hearings, occupational health conferences and inquest proceedings.
She was a formidable, highly determined and motivated campaigner, devoting 41 years of her life after Bill’s death to helping others and uncovering the truth behind asbestos in the workplace as well as the potential consequences of ignoring it, including health impacts, legal ramifications, and financial burdens. Her opponents frequently tried to dismiss her efforts as amateurish and tried to discredit her, all to no avail. After passing away on 13 February 2009, at age 89, Nancy left behind a proud legacy of compassion and achievement that arguably continues to inspire those seeking truth and justice today.
Continuing the Fight
We would like to honour all of those who have died due to work-related asbestos disease and remember there is still a long way to go to ensure our terrible asbestos legacy doesn’t continue into the future. At Hodge Jones & Allen Solicitors we fight for justice every day and will continue to do so. International Workers’ Memorial Day is a dedicated day to “remember the dead and fight for the living”. All those who have died from an asbestos related disease inspire us to continue the fight for those who are receiving a diagnosis of asbestos-related diseases every day
Our Asbestos & Workplace Illness Team provides invaluable legal advice to asbestos disease victims and their families, ensuring that they receive the justice and compensation they deserve. By seeking legal assistance, victims can hold accountable those responsible for their suffering and pave the way for safer workplaces for future generations. We will explore every single possible avenue with you to ensure you are fully supported and advised and we act on a “no win, no fee” basis with no hidden charges.
For more information, contact our legal experts on 0330 822 3451 or request a callback.