Former Telecoms Worker Receives Settlement After Developing Mesothelioma
23/12/2010
A former telecoms engineer who was diagnosed with asbestos related cancer after previously working to install telephone lines at a top secret war bunker has been awarded £115,000 in an out of court settlement.
Bernard John Mottram, 82, from Bath was diagnosed with mesothelioma, an incurable form of cancer that is most commonly caused by exposure to asbestos, in May 2010. Formerly an engineer with British Telecom, Mr Mottram now fears he may not live long enough to celebrate his Diamond Wedding anniversary in September 2011.
Mr Mottram worked for British Telecom from 1970 to 1991, where he was required to install new telephone lines at old office blocks, factories, schools and hospitals, as well as Army and Air Force bases. He recalls regularly working around asbestos lagged pipe-work and encountering asbestos fire-stops, as well as being expected to drill through asbestos sheets to run cables.
It was, however, his work at the Corsham Underground bunker in 1991 that most sticks in his mind, where he believes that he was negligently exposed to asbestos because of a lack of equipment provided by his employer.
Corsham Underground is a 35 acre underground city built during the late 1950s in Wiltshire as an emergency Government War Headquarters. At more than one kilometre in length and with more than 60 miles of road, the former top secret bunker, code named ‘Burlington’ could have accommodated 4,000 Government workers in complete isolation from the outside world for up to three months.
Mr Mottram recalls: “For about six months, towards the end of my employment with BT in 1991, I was installing new cabling and telecom equipment at Corsham Underground. I remember I had to use an 800 watt electric drill which wasn’t really powerful enough for the job. This meant that I had to use my shoulder and have my face close to the surface that I was drilling into. The drilling generated a lot of white & grey dust. It hung in the air like a faint haze. I have since learnt that asbestos was present in the fabric of the buildings at Corsham Underground.
“At the time, I was not provided with any form of facial mask or protective breathing apparatus or warnings about the dangers of asbestos, during my time as a Technician for BT. I retired when I was 63 as part of a redundancy programme.”
Mr Mottram first became unwell in February 2010 when he began to suffer from breathlessness and chest pain. His GP referred him to the Royal United Hospital (RUH) for further investigations and as his breathing continued to deteriorate, he was admitted to the RUH for scans and a biopsy. He was subsequently diagnosed with mesothelioma.
Mr Mottram added: “My wife, Christine and I have three children, eight grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren. We had been looking forward to celebrating our Diamond Wedding anniversary next year, but this incurable disease means that we don’t know if I will be around then.”
Satpal Singh, a workplace illness expert at Irwin Mitchell, successfully launched an asbestos illness claim against British Telecom on Mr Mottram’s behalf and commented: “Until earlier this year, Mr Mottram had been very fit and active. The diagnosis of cancer has been a huge blow to him and his family and in particular, they were shocked to discover that his illness was caused as a result of being exposed to asbestos at work.
“BT has now admitted that it was negligent in failing to protect Mr Mottram during his work for them.
“Sadly, Mr Mottram’s case is not isolated. For more than ten years I have acted for technicians who have been exposed to asbestos during employment with British Telecom. It is always very sad to learn of such exposure, particularly at a time when the law required British Telecom to have taken better steps to protect them.
“As the delay between exposure to asbestos dust and the onset of symptoms can be 20 years or longer, workers like Mr Mottram, are only now making the shocking discovery that their health has been affected as a result. Although, sadly no amount of money can turn back the clock, the settlement will at least provide Mr Mottram and his family with some financial security.”
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