A housewife’s family have been compensated after she was killed by asbestos-contaminated laundry.

Ann Smith, from Rochester, contracted the rare and aggressive cancer Mesothelioma after years of exposure to asbestos fibres from her late husband’s clothing.

Her husband, Steve Smith, had worked at Kingsnorth Power Station from 1974 until the 1990s as a permit engineer for the Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB).

During his time working for the company, Steve spent time servicing, repairing and maintaining asbestos-lagged equipment, during which he was exposed to deadly dust.

He often responded to incidents in the turbine and boiler houses and he continually dealt with blow-outs on pipes, all of which were rife with asbestos.

The asbestos dust in turn collected on his clothing, meaning Ann was exposed to the fibres when she carried his laundry from upstairs to the washing machine in their kitchen.

Ann would shake the clothing while sorting the laundry into piles, which further exposed her to the fibres.

Steve would move around the house in his contaminated clothes after coming home from work, with no idea he was exposing his wife to the deadly dust.

It was found that some 4,000 tonnes of asbestos materials were present at the Kingsnorth Power Station site after its demolition in 2013.

In 2021, Ann was diagnosed with Mesothelioma and was assisted by the Wisdom Hospice until she died in September last year aged 80.

Part of the compensation settlement has been donated to the hospice, to reflect the care they provided Ann during her final days.

Asbestos disease specialists Hodge Jones & Allen built a case against Steve’s former employers despite Steve himself having passed away years ago.

“Nobody should have to suffer what we went through”

CEGB became defunct in 2001, but has since become Uniper UK Limited. A spokesman said the company is unable to comment on individual cases.

Ann’s family were supported by the London Asbestos Support Awareness Group, and although Ann died before her case concluded, her solicitor Lorna Webster was able to secure an admission from the insurers before her passing.

Ann was pleased to know she had obtained justice, even though she was not able to see the end of her claim.

The couple’s son, Tony Smith, said: “My family have been devastated by the passing of my late Mum, and the pain and suffering she endured.

“What was thought to be a simple chest infection at first, was quickly uncovered to be the most horrific of diseases, Mesothelioma. I don’t believe I’d ever heard that word until late 2021, and to see it associated with my Mum brings me to tears even now.

“I feel it is important that her death is not in vain. Secondary Mesothelioma is something that impacts many hard-working families and as we learned, can suddenly come to light and change everything.

“We need to raise awareness, to ensure those who develop Mesothelioma know to seek legal advice on their rights to compensation. My Dad would have been horrified to know that he was unknowingly bringing this awful dust into his home.

“His employers simply should not have allowed this to happen, and the admission and compensation payment proves this should not have occurred.

“Nobody should have to suffer what we went through, and nobody deserves to have their life cut short because of something that could have been prevented, had employers taken the time to put health before profits.”

Lorna Webster said: “Mesothelioma is a terrible disease; it can affect not only those who worked with asbestos fibres but also their loved ones.

“While Ann’s passing is a sad reminder of the risks of being exposed to asbestos fibres, we welcome the compensation her family has received, as many women are unfairly denied being able to pursue compensation due to inadequacies in our law on secondary exposure.

“We must raise awareness of how this disease impacts families, to ensure that more cases like Ann’s aren’t simply confined to the history books. We must seek justice for all those who develop Mesothelioma because of secondary exposure; rather than just the few who fit within the restraints of the legal requirements.

“We have set up a petition and would encourage people to sign it to seek change.”

To sign the petition, you can click here.

Lorna continued: “Those who develop Mesothelioma are innocent victims, and they should all be given the right to compensation.

“Whilst Ann was able to do so, some women cannot. Change must happen to avoid this injustice.”