Former Uskmouth Power Station worker secures settlement following his diagnosis with asbestosis

Mike Brennan, aged 73, originally from Newport in Wales, was employed by the Central Energy Generating Board at Uskmouth Power Station from 1966 to 1983, first as an apprentice and then as a mechanical fitter.

Mike was responsible for maintaining and repairing the turbine hall plant. He recalled that the pipes in the power station were lagged with asbestos, a commonly used insulation material at the time.

Mike’s work was hot and dusty, and involved climbing over lagged pipes to reach different workstations. The lagging on the pipes was often split and disintegrating and he recalled disturbing dust on the pipes whenever he passed them, so much so that it would create dust clouds which would get on to his clothes and skin. He also conducted repairs that required the scraping away of old asbestos material.

Mike also worked in close proximity to laggers, whose work he recalls as being very dusty. They were responsible for removing old asbestos lagging and mixing asbestos with water to form a wet paste for new lagging.

In early 2020, Mike began to suffer with shortness of breath, fatigue and a constant dry cough. He was diagnosed with asbestosis in September 2020. His symptoms mean he is no longer able to do the activities he previously enjoyed, including gardening, DIY and walks on the beach with his wife.

Mike now lives in Australia with his wife Carol, but proceedings were brought in England as this is where he was exposed to asbestos. Liability was admitted in full, and he secured a substantial settlement. The settlement is on a provisional basis allowing Mike to return to court for further damages if he develops further asbestos diseases in future.

Mike said:

“It is a frightening time when first faced with the diagnosis, and wondering how to handle both the illness and all the repercussions. We were so lucky that they were able to make contact with Leigh Day and Daniel, someone who has been working tirelessly to reach a satisfactory outcome. Carol and I will be forever grateful for all you have done to help us through this process. You have shown yourselves to be very caring professionals, and have gone well beyond in helping us reach this settlement.”

Daniel Easton, joint head of Leigh Day’s asbestos and industrial diseases team who represented Mike, said:

“I am delighted that we are able to achieve such a positive result for both Mike and Carol, through the settlement of the claim and securing an admission from the Defendant that they negligently exposed Mike to asbestos in the work place. I hope that this outcome will go some way towards helping Mike and Carol in the future.”