UK factory worker’s death attributed to asbestos exposure
The family of Ronald Hewkin, a former British Celanese worker, received some closure when an inquest into his death determined that he had been exposed to asbestos and was a victim of “death by industrial disease.”
Hewkin worked as a process worker for 20 years at the Spondon powder-making plant until his retirement in 1998. He was diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma in January 2005 and told he had just nine months to live. But Hewkin lived another five years before he succumbed to his disease on March 14, 2009.
Shortly after Hewkin received the initial diagnosis, he stated that he didn’t know it at the time, but he was sure he was exposed to asbestos at the powder-making plant. He said that the pipefitters at the plant would often knock off asbestos lagging while making repairs, which released dust into the air.
Hewkin received radiation therapy and check-ups with his doctor after his diagnosis. When he died, he left behind a wife, two sons, and six grandchildren.
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