London & Country buses involved in mesothelioma claim

London & Country Bus Services was a bus company that operated in South East England from 1969 until it was split up and sold in 1986. It formed part of the National Bus Company, which operated provincial services across the country. During this period, many of the brakes on the buses were lined with asbestos.

Mr P was exposed to asbestos whilst working for London & Country Buses as a hand painter. During the process of warming up the buses, Mr P recalled oil dripping from the engines onto the floor. The practice at that time was to take a bag of cast asbestos which had been obtained from old brake shoes. The asbestos was used to soak up the oil on the floor. To get to the workshop, Mr P would walk through the garage where the loose and broken asbestos was sprinkled on the floor.

Mr P also recalled that the garage roofs in London & Country Buses were made of asbestos and occasionally would have to be repaired and maintained. Mr P was usually in the building when this work was carried out and there was no protection provided from the asbestos dust that fell from the roofs.

Mr P also worked for the South of England Electricity Board (SEEB) as a jointer’s mate. He used to strip down cables which carried 11,000 volts, preparing them for the jointer. There was asbestos in the sheaths which surrounded the cables he laid on local housing estates and also on the insulation of electrical substations.

Mr P also went on to work for the local authority of Reigate and Banstead painting the outside of houses including soffits and porches which were made of asbestos, including gutters and drains. On most occasions, he had to rub down the asbestos fittings to make them smooth. Mr P would be working from the top of a ladder. The gutters and soffits were overhead so when they were rubbed down, asbestos fibres would fall on his head.

As a consequence, Mr P was exposed to asbestos and RWK Goodman assisted with a successful claim for compensation.