Dockworkers and stevedores have a high incidence of asbestos related diseases like mesothelioma, lung cancer and asbestosis. Raw asbestos fibre was previously imported into the UK on ships from countries like South Africa and Canada. The asbestos was transported in hessian sacks in the holds of ships.

Dockers in ports like Liverpool, Bristol, Hull, Southampton and Glasgow were involved in discharging sacks of asbestos from the ships and onto the quayside or waiting boats. The asbestos sacks were often already damaged from when they were loaded onto the ships in foreign ports. The sacks became further damaged when dockers offloaded them, often using hooks and scratch pads to help them to move these heavy and cumbersome bags. The sacks of asbestos were then lifted out of the ships' holds, often using slings operated by cranes.

The hessian sacks leaked asbestos fibre out of rips and tears in the damaged bags. Unsurprisingly, dockers were heavily exposed to asbestos fibre and many now succumb to asbestos diseases.

However, dockworkers have until recently found it very difficult or impossible to successfully claim compensation for their development of asbestos diseases. Claims against ship owners and stevedores have been notoriously difficult because of problems in tracing these companies, many of whom are now defunct, or because of problems in tracing their insurers. Please click here to read an article that explains some of the legal obstacles in bringing claims for asbestos diseases against ship owners.

From the late 1940's until 1967, dockworkers were often employed by local dock labour boards under the National Dock Labour Board Scheme. The government department that took over responsibility for the scheme argued that they did not owe a legal duty of care to the dockworkers and refused to meet any claims made against them.

However, in a recent legal test case brought by John Pickering and Partners LLP on behalf of a Liverpool dockworker and the widow of a Liverpool dockworker who died from mesothelioma, the courts have decided that the government did owe a duty to protect dockworkers from a known, serious risk to their health. Please click here for further information about the court decision.

Click here for more information about asbestos disease claims and how claims for compensation for asbestos illnesses work in practice.

Contact us to find out if you can claim for mesothelioma or other asbestos related conditions.

Further information:
Kevin Johnson, Partner
John Pickering and Partners LLP
19 Castle Street
Liverpool L2 4SX
Telephone: 0151 227 1214
Freephone 0800 854201
E-mail: kj@johnpickering.co.uk
Website: www.johnpickering.co.uk
www.mesotheliomaadvice.co.uk