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17 June 2021 | Witness Appeals | Article by Lynn Yeates

Witness Appeal: Did you work with Ms Glenda Eaton?


Ms Glenda Eaton, who lived in Porchester, Hampshire, passed away on 24 September 2020 after a diagnosis with mesothelioma.

It is thought that Glenda may have been exposed to asbestos during her working career. Glenda’s brother, Nigel Eaton, has now launched an appeal to try and trace any of her former colleagues in the hope they can provide further information about the work she undertook.

Witness Appeal: Did you work with Ms Glenda Eaton?

It is believed that Glenda was exposed to asbestos dust and fibres during her employment between 1959 and 1990 when she was employed in the accounts department at Fireproof Tanks Limited based at Airport Service Road Portsmouth. The company has a long standing history in the area having started up in 1939. It subsequently became known as FPT Industries and ultimately became part of Westland Helicopters. In 1990 it was purchased by GKN and was renamed GKN Aerospace

Although Glenda worked in the accounts department her various roles over the years involved her making trips to shop floor on a daily basis. Glenda gave evidence that she was exposed to asbestos from the activities that were being carried out by the workers on the shop floor whose tasks, amongst others, involved the use of asbestos based products.

We are therefore appealing for anyone who worked, ideally on the shop floor, at Fireproof Tanks Limited/FPT Industries/Westland Helicopters/GKN Aerospace between 1960 and 1990, to provide us with information concerning the working practices and conditions there.

Lynn Yeates, Partner in the Asbestos team commented:

“We know that Ms Eaton’s illness was asbestos related and she was able to tell us that she’d come into contact with asbestos dust that was being created by the shop floor workers who used asbestos based products during the course of their work, but we’re just not sure exactly how this exposure came about. If you worked at either of the companies Ms Eaton worked at, any information you can provide could therefore be really helpful for Ms Eaton’s family in obtaining answers as to what happened to her at work all those years ago.”

Armed with the experience and specialist knowledge that is required for this complex area of law, Hugh James has helped thousands of people who have been either injured or developed an illness as a result of their work. The team also has significant experience in working on industrial disease group actions, where more than one person has been affected by contamination in the workplace.

Anyone who knew or worked with Glenda Eaton at Fireproof Tanks Limited, FPT Industries, Westland Helicopters or GKN Aerospace between 1960 and 1990 are urged to get in touch using the button below.

Author bio

Lynn Yeates joined Hugh James in April 2021 and is a Partner in the Specialist Asbestos team based in the Southampton office. She specialises solely in asbestos disease litigation and has a long history of representing victims of asbestos exposure and their families.

Lynn has considerable experience working on complex, high value compensation claims and has strong links with medical specialists, palliative care providers, support organisations and barristers. She has in excess of 15 years’ experience working solely with people diagnosed with illnesses such as mesothelioma and other serious asbestos related illnesses.

Disclaimer: The information on the Hugh James website is for general information only and reflects the position at the date of publication. It does not constitute legal advice and should not be treated as such. If you would like to ensure the commentary reflects current legislation, case law or best practice, please contact the blog author.

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