The closing days of last year saw the death of Cecil Duckworth. Mr Duckworth founded Worcester Bosch, one of the leading manufacturers of central heating boilers. His wife Beatrice reflected that he must have been exposed to asbestos dust, almost the sole cause of mesothelioma, when he was making the first boilers. At the time they contained asbestos components.
After founding the company, which is still a major local employer, Mr Duckworth supported many local good causes. He was also a sponsor of Worcestershire Ccricket Club and the Worcester Warriors rugby team.
What puts us at risk of developing mesothelioma?
The Worcester News website reported that the “people most at risk of developing mesothelioma would generally have handled asbestos for a prolonged period of time or got exposed to large amounts of asbestos as part of their career.” However, the report failed to mention that even a single instance of exposure to asbestos can still cause mesothelioma to develop. Mr Duckworth’s death from the disease is a tragic reminded that, whether someone built the proto-type or manufactured hundreds of boilers, they can still be at significant risk.
This is why asbestos is a serious health hazard and continues to affect thousands of people each year.
Read the full report here.
Photo of rugby players by James Coleman on unsplash.