Australia has one of the highest per capita rates of mesothelioma in the world, with around 700-800 new cases diagnosed each year. The rare form of cancer is caused by exposure to asbestos, which was widely used in construction for decades. Recently, several former employees of the country’s public broadcasting station have died of asbestos-related diseases, leading their former co-workers to recall the material’s presence in their work environment and fear what lies ahead.
Asbestos in Australia Broadcasting Studio Blamed for Mesothelioma Death
Following the mesothelioma death of a 76-year-old former employee in April 2024 and of several other technical staff members and a broadcaster over the last few years, colleagues are pointing to asbestos at the national broadcaster’s old television stations in Elsternwick, which operated until 2017 and was home to the broadcaster’s radio station until 1995. The station is now calling both former and current staff members to let them know whether they suspect they suffered occupational exposure to the carcinogenic substance.
The daughter of the mesothelioma victim said that her late father had worked at the station for almost four decades. She said he had known about asbestos being in the building, but had been unaware of its dangers until the late 1980s. Unaware of the disease’s long latency, he had believed he had avoided illness, only to begin showing symptoms in 2023. He died a year later.
Station’s Owner Has Compensated Four Former Employees Affected By Asbestos-Related Diseases
Investigators have determined that the station’s owner has paid settlements to four former employees who’ve been diagnosed with asbestos-related illnesses over the last several years. Others who worked there for years are left waiting to be diagnosed. One former employee who constructed studios as a broadcast engineering officer says he was “heavily exposed” and has “had anxiety about this for more than 30 years.” He was recently diagnosed with pleural scarring.
The former employee recalled the “dusty and dirty environment” and said that management had become aware of the asbestos after it had begun building new studios. Though they arranged for it to be cleaned up in 1987, he and other employees collected samples of fiber insulation from their new worksite and had it tested by a government lab, which confirmed that it contained deadly blue asbestos. The report was sent to management, and all new construction was halted until another clean-up was arranged. Further testing after that clean-up called the environment “questionable.”
Occupational exposure to asbestos has been directly linked to the development of mesothelioma and other deadly and disabling diseases. If you’ve been diagnosed and need information about your options, contact the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net today at 1-800-692-8608.
