NEW laws aimed at protecting workers from the dangers of asbestos may have come too late, according to a Swindon solicitor.
Recent findings have shown that one in every hundred men born in the 1940s will die due to malignant pleural mesothelioma, which is caused by exposure to asbestos.
It has been dubbed the Swindon Disease due to the large number of people from the town who have contracted it, often through exposure to asbestos at the railway works.
But, according to Virginia Chalmers, a solicitor at Thring Townsend, in Swindon and Bath, it is still very much a problem.
"We are seeing increasing numbers of workers from the building trades who are suffering from asbestos-elated diseases," she said.
The Control Of Asbestos At Work Regulations 2002 which come into force on May 21 seek to protect workers from the of exposure to asbestos fibres.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article