Michael Bluer worked on sites in the 1960s, fitting and removing boilers around the North West of England.
In those days, he was coming into contact with asbestos on a regular basis through many products including pipework, boilers and lagging. There were no safety precautions in place across the industry, as there are now.
A journey of diagnosis and treatment
Michael retired at the age of 74. When he was 82, he was struggling with a persistent cough and after visits to the GP, he was referred to his local hospital where he was told that he had ‘lung cancer of some form’. More tests followed and he was finally diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma on his left lung.
He was referred to the Cecilia Centre at Wythenshawe Hospital near Manchester, a day case unit specifically for lung cancer patients. Consultants gave Michael options for chemotherapy, which he declined, or immunotherapy, which he accepted.
Michael was scheduled for three courses of immunotherapy but after the third one, he became seriously ill with colitis and bowel issues. He was in and out of hospital in Wythenshawe and Bolton for the next couple of months until he was going in on a regular basis. More tests revealed that the cancer had slowed in one area but also spread into his nerve system.
His breathing and mobility began to deteriorate and he sadly passed away in November 2024.
Remaining positive
Michael’s son, Phil was with him throughout his journey. Phil says: “Both Dad and the family were under no illusions after his diagnosis. We were hoping for a few extra months but the disease spread so rapidly.
“Dad was very active during his life and into his retirement. He was a really fit guy and although he knew the risk from his previous occupation, he didn’t think that asbestos would catch up with him.
“He remained positive throughout his treatment, and was very much of the view that we should all move on and help him with the longevity of the life that he had left.
“He enjoyed seeing the nurses and consultants at the Cecilia Centre, particularly Mairead and Lisa from Mesothelioma UK and Doctor Taylor. We can’t say enough good things about them all and they did a sterling job looking after Dad.”
Improving health and safety for construction workers
By coincidence, Phil is now working withing the same industry as Director of WMB Mechanical Ltd, a company that undertakes mechanical installations in the commercial, industrial, educational and health sectors.
Phil continues: “Not just for my dad, but it’s such a shame that health and safety measures weren’t in place back then when he was working. Construction sites are much different now, but asbestos is still there in buildings. Across many projects, we work in buildings where asbestos is present.
“Before we start on a new site, asbestos surveys and reports are sent in advance and should always be available on request. It has changed for the better but we still have to be mindful of the dangers that asbestos presents.”
“I would like to see even better health and safety procedures in place and a greater push for information on asbestos presence from suppliers to clients. Ensuring good health on construction sites is critical for the construction, roofing and painting trades, as well as many other trades, so I’d also like to see screening and CT scans happen as a standard check*, not waiting until a diagnosis has been received.”
* Mesothelioma UK is keen to see far more asbestos awareness and education in the UK. To date, there is no evidence to support screening for mesothelioma as exposure to asbestos is indiscriminate in the UK and even low levels can be fatal. The national lung cancer screening programme that is nearing complete roll out will undoubtedly coincidentally identify some early mesothelioma.
