RELATIVES of a painter and decorator fear he may be the latest tradesman in Doncaster to die as a result of working with deadly asbestos.
Health and safety bosses believe 190 people from the borough died from asbestos-related diseases between 1981 and 2005, and are warning tradesmen that asbestos and its dangers are relevant.
Douglas Marsden, from Balby, died in August from cancer m
esothelioma and an inquest recorded his death as being due to industrial disease.
Now his family is appealing for his former colleagues to come forward to help them put together a picture of how staff may have been exposed to the potentially deadly substance.
Mr Marsden was aged 80 when he died, and his family believes he may have been exposed to asbestos while he worked as a decorator for Alfred Bagnall and Sons Limited in the late 1960s.
His widow, Norma, said: "Douglas was a loving and proud father, grandfather and great-grandfather. He was diagnosed with the fatal cancer just three months before he died.
Before he died, Mr Marsden has said he remembered brushing asbestos guttering with a wire brush before painting it, as well as working in various industrial premises where asbestos materials may have been present.
He worked on various painting and decorating jobs for Bagnall's in and around South and West Yorkshire.
Norma has taken legal advice and is trying to trace any of his former work colleagues who may be able to share information about the particular sites where her husband worked.
Solicitor Simone Hardy, from Irwin Mitchell, is representing Norma. She said: "We are appealing to anyone who worked for Alfred Bagnall and Sons Limited in the 1960s or early 1970s to contact us and help with our enquiries.
"We are trying to identify the various sites that he may have worked on."
Anyone who can help should call Simone Hardy at Irwin Mitchell on 0870 1500 100 or email simone.hardy@irwinmitchell.com.
Asbestos still presents a real and relevant risk to plumbers, joiners, electricians and many other maintenance workers, says the Heakth and Safety Executive.
St Leger Homes put a two week freeze on improvement work under Doncaster's decent homes programme earlier this year after asbestos was found at flats in Woodlands and Balby Bridge.
It prompted a review of builders' procedures to make sure there was no danger to workmen or residents.
No one was available for comment at Bagnall's.
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