MWR urge ex-Vickers Shipyard employees to come forward
3 January 2007
NORTH WEST law firm MWR Solicitors, is urging ex-employees of the Vickers Shipyard in Barrow, to come forward as they could have been affected by a potentially fatal asbestos related disease.
MWR, which is based in Preston, ran a series of free legal advice clinics in Barrow earlier this year to give guidance regarding asbestos related medical conditions.
Alarmingly, the majority of people who attended at the clinics worked at the Vickers Shipyard (now owned by BAE Systems). This suggests that there could be many ex-Vickers employees who remain unaware of the effects that asbestos exposure may have had upon them.
The Vickers Shipyard was known as the “Naval Yard” due to the numerous naval vessels it produced and at one stage it employed the majority of the town’s residents. However, little attention has been drawn to the large amounts of asbestos that was used in both its ships and buildings.
The effects of asbestos exposure have become a major issue, as even a small amount of exposure can cause diseases such as pleural plaques or pleural thickening. In some cases, this can lead to developing mesothelioma, which is a fatal form of cancer. The effects are not usually seen until at least 10 years after exposure. In some cases, it can take up to 50 years after exposure for an asbestos condition to develop.
Sharon Rigby, head of the legal advice clinics campaign, said: “Many workers will have been exposed to asbestos whilst working at the Vickers Shipyard. Ill health conditions can then develop much later in life due to the asbestos exposure and we are urging people to seek advice as soon as possible.
“It can take between 10 and 50 years for a person to show an asbestos related condition after exposure and it is important that those who have worked at Vickers come forward as they may have been affected by asbestos.
“There are a large number of people coming forward seeking advice who have worked at Vickers and we are in the process of progressing these cases, possibly to Court. I fear that this may just be the tip of the iceberg.”
A free phone number has been set up for anyone wanting to make enquiries. Call 0800 731 0717 for further information.
