Mesothelioma claim involving Trollope & Colls and Selleck Nicholls Williams, settles for six-figure sum.

Trollope & Colls specialised in civil engineering, and pioneering work in reinforced concrete during World War I, when many of the UK railway bridges, viaducts and docks were built. Other projects (mostly in London) included Claridge’s Hotel, The Head Office of Lloyds Bank, The Daily Express, The Daily Mail, The Times, The Daily Telegraph, Trywsfynnd Power Station and The New Stock Exchange.

Trafalgar House took over Trollope & Colls in 1968 but it remained a separate corporate entity. The company changed hands again in 1996 when Kvaerner, The Norwegian shipbuilding and engineering group, acquired Trafalgar House Construction as part of a bid for Trafalgar House plc.

Mr E joined Trollope & Colls Limited as an apprentice plumber. The apprenticeship was five years long and he worked on site in the West End and the City of London.

Projects included the Guildhall, Harrods, The Royal College of Surgeons, Associated Press in Fleet Street, The Dutch Church as well as various banks and office blocks.

As a young apprentice he had to do a lot of the fetching and carrying, sometimes working close to laggers.

Mr E remembered them tipping 100 weight bags of asbestos into dustbins and mixing it with water. The dust went everywhere. The mixture was put on hot pipes and then covered in chicken wire. A further coat of lagging was then put on by the laggers.

Mr E was not given any warnings about working with asbestos and he was not given any protective equipment.

Mr E was also exposed asbestos whilst working for Selleck Nicholls Williams. Mr E worked at Liskeard School in the 1970s, when he had to remove an old boiler. The boiler room was in a semi basement, and was around 20 feet square. He had to take apart the sectional boiler which was lagged with asbestos. The lagging had to be hacked off with a hammer, chisel and Mr E’s bare hands.

Mr E recalled that there was dust and muck everywhere and that he had to bag up all the lagging himself. This meant sweeping it up and putting it into bin liner type bags. Mr E recalled that they even had lunch and tea breaks in the boiler room. He was not provided with any protective equipment and was given no warnings or instructions about working with asbestos.

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