The dangers of asbestos have been known about for decades, with the first serious controls on asbestos use in the UK coming into effect in 1970. What a new court case reveals, however, is that the companies manufacturing asbestos products knew about the risks well before this – and battled to keep them hidden from an unsuspecting public.
The Asbestos Victims Support Groups Forum UK has been battling to obtain documents that prove UK asbestos manufacturers knew about the risks posed by asbestos years before they took any action. The group represents thousands of individuals who have developed asbestos-related diseases as a result of past asbestos exposure.
Thanks to their efforts, documents from asbestos manufacturer Cape have been saved from destruction, and shed light on a callous disregard for the safety of their customers. Court documents show that Cape was advising against the use of warning labels on asbestos products as far back as 1958, and repeatedly lobbied the UK government to allow products based on an allowable level of asbestos emissions, rather than a ‘zero dust’ policy.
The 1958 incident related to a partner company of Cape’s which was considering using warning labels on their products, in line with a growing scientific consensus. Cape advised that “a caution label on our products and none on [our competitors] would make our selling efforts most difficult” – a refrain that it would repeat for decades to come.
Cape would go on to conduct its own internal research on asbestos, proving the now-accepted notion that there was no safe level of asbestos exposure. Despite this, the company continued to lobby for lower asbestos standards, and included only a ‘take care with Asbestos’ warning on its products from 1976, making no mention of the risk of asbestosis or mesothelioma.
The company also conducted tests demonstrating levels of dust exposure from its products that were higher than the already low standards they had lobbied for. This data was deliberately withheld, with the company continuing to reassure customers about the safety of asbestos. A 1976 pamphlet co-authored by the company stated that “The normal use of asbestos products should not be a cause for anxiety.”
While the battle continues for victims to receive compensation – including a £10m donation towards mesothelioma research – the lessons from this case are both pertinent and familiar. The fact that the company denied the facts exposed by its own researchers brings to mind both the tobacco and oil industries, both of which knew about the long-term dangers associated with their products, and both of which hid the truth.
Both asbestos and cigarettes continue to kill thousands every year, while the environmental damage from fossil fuels is only increasing. Despite being banned for over 20 years, asbestos continues to crop up in the news, as with the recent cases of exposure in the Houses of Parliament. The selfish actions of companies decades ago have had long-reaching consequences, both for individuals and the population as a whole.
It stands to reason that companies today are making similarly callous decisions, focused on profits rather than the long-term safety and wellbeing of customers, employees and bystanders. It’s a reminder not just of the value of asbestos awareness, but the value of good health & safety – and putting plans in place to protect people now and in the far-flung future.