T&N Rochdale, asbestos and cancer - There WAS a cover up - Part 4

Date published: 11/09/2008

T&N Known environmental asbestos hazard: 1957

Two documents from 1957, accompanied as images in this article, give an insight into the amount of dust emanated from the Rochdale asbestos factory and the amount of asbestos dust collected and “dumped to waste”.

A letter dated 11 March 1957 from T&N to the local Inspector of Factories based at Rochdale Town Hall stated that the outside inorganic particulate levels above the T&N factory were about four times higher than in the production areas.

Another shocking revelation was that based on T&N's own tests conducted in 1950 and 1957 the air in its asbestos filter rooms within the factory was less dusty than that collected on Ings Lane, a residential area about 200 yards upwind of the factory.

A confidential T&N memo dated 15 August 1957 confirm the dust level readings after confirming that:

“...the total weight of dust recovered in the filter rooms weekly amounts to 15,000 lbs,all of which is dumped to waste."

T&N have settled several environmental exposure asbestos cancers. However such out-of-court settlements are generally subject to non-disclosure clauses to prevent adverse publicity against the defendant company. The total number of deaths caused by asbestos from Spodden Valley T&N site may never be known.

To read the other articles in this series visit the links below:

www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/21/spodden-valley/13950/tandn-rochdale-asbestos-and-cancer-there-was-a-cover-up

www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/21/spodden-valley/13956/tandn-rochdale-asbestos-and-cancer-there-was-a-cover-up-part-2

www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/21/spodden-valley/13955/tandn-rochdale-asbestos-and-cancer-there-was-a-cover-up-part-3 

www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/21/spodden-valley/13953/tandn-rochdale-asbestos-and-cancer-there-was-a-cover-up-part-5

www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/21/spodden-valley/13952/tandn-rochdale-asbestos-and-cancer-there-was-a-cover-up-part-6

www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/21/spodden-valley/13951/tandn-rochdale-asbestos-and-cancer-there-was-a-cover-up-part-7

Download

• T&N letter to the local inspector of factories, 11 March 1957 (2008911_155753.pdf)
• Confidential T&N memo, 15 August 1957 (2008911_155853.pdf)