Mesothelioma and asbestos claims in Manchester and North West England

The North West of England has a proud industrial heritage spanning shipbuilding, railway engineering, manufacturing and textiles. However, this legacy is overshadowed by the widespread use of asbestos throughout many of these industries, with devastating health consequences for workers and their families.

Each year, hundreds of people across the North West are diagnosed with mesothelioma. As one of the UK’s leading asbestos litigation firms, the Hugh James team is best placed to assist you or a loved one if you have received a diagnosis. We are proud to be ranked in the top tier of Chambers & Partners for our work in this specialist field.

Asbestos sources in Manchester

Railway works

The British Rail works in Crewe were among the most significant railway engineering hubs in the UK. Thousands were employed in the construction, overhaul, and maintenance of locomotives, rolling stock and engines.

Asbestos insulation was extensively used in boilers, brake linings, pipe lagging, and engine compartments. Many employees, including fitters, electricians, welders, and cleaners, were heavily exposed to asbestos dust on a daily basis. Few received any warnings or protective equipment.

Power stations

The North West has historically been home to several major power stations, many of which were large-scale employers across the region. Key sites included:

• Fiddlers Ferry Power Station (near Widnes)
• Carrington Power Station (Manchester)
• Heysham Nuclear Power Station (Lancaster)
• Sellafield (Cumbria – formerly Windscale)
• Trafford Power Station (Stretford)
• Roosecote Power Station (Barrow-in-Furness)
• Ince Power Station (Cheshire)

These sites employed thousands of workers either directly through the Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB) or via contractors.

High temperature equipment such as boilers, turbines, and steam pipes were routinely insulated with asbestos lagging. This insulation was frequently disturbed during installation, maintenance, and repair works, exposing employees—including engineers, fitters, and laggers to significant levels of asbestos dust.

Manufacturing

One of the most notorious industrial users of asbestos in the UK, Turner and Newall operated large asbestos manufacturing sites in Rochdale and other parts of Greater Manchester. The company produced insulation products, cement pipes, gaskets, textiles, and spray coatings  all containing asbestos.

Many factory workers were exposed to airborne asbestos fibres during the production process. Additionally, people living near the factories were exposed to environmental asbestos contamination.

Shipbuilding

Barrow-in-Furness has historically had one of the highest mesothelioma rates in the country. The town’s shipyards, originally operated by Vickers and now by BAE Systems, employed thousands in the construction and maintenance of naval and commercial vessels.

Asbestos was extensively used in insulation around pipes, turbines, boilers and bulkheads. Workers undertaking repairs or refits were particularly at risk of heavy exposure. Tragically, many family members were also exposed through dust carried home on work clothes.

Liverpool was also a major centre for shipbuilding and ship repair, with several yards operating along the River Mersey including Cammell Laird in Birkenhead, one of the most famous shipbuilders in the UK. The yards constructed and serviced naval and merchant ships throughout the 19th and 20th centuries.

Shipbuilders in Liverpool were exposed to asbestos used in the insulation of engine rooms, boiler spaces, bulkheads, pipework and turbines. Maintenance and refitting works in dry docks further increased the risk of exposure as old asbestos materials were stripped and replaced with minimal protective equipment or ventilation. Many former workers have since developed mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases as a result.

Docks

Liverpool Docks were among the most important trading ports in the UK and were a key site for the importation and handling of raw asbestos materials throughout the 20th century.

Large quantities of asbestos were brought into the country via Liverpool, particularly from Canada and South Africa. Dockworkers were frequently exposed while unloading sacks of raw asbestos fibre or transferring it to local warehouses and factories. The unloading process was dusty, and few, if any, protective measures were in place at the time.

Manchester Docks including the Port of Manchester and Salford Docks—also played a significant role in the import and distribution of asbestos materials. These docks formed part of the Manchester Ship Canal network, which enabled ocean-going vessels to bring asbestos cargo directly inland. Workers were often involved in unloading, bagging, and transporting raw asbestos to manufacturers and storage facilities in Greater Manchester and beyond.

Many dockworkers, transport staff, and warehouse employees subsequently developed mesothelioma and other asbestos-related illnesses. The impact was also felt by families of workers who were exposed second-hand through contaminated work clothing.

Factories

Factories were a significant source of asbestos exposure across the North West. Asbestos was used in:

• Pipe lagging
• Gaskets and seals
• Insulating boards (e.g., Asbestolux)
• Machine linings
• Building materials within the structure of the factories themselves

Industries included textile mills, insulation production, chemical plants, and automotive manufacturing, particularly in towns such as Rochdale, Oldham, Bolton, Burnley and Warrington.

Construction

Thousands of tradesmen across the North West – including joiners, plumbers, carpenters, ceiling fixers, laggers, plasterers, fitters, and electricians – were exposed to asbestos while working in:

• Schools
• Hospitals
• Factories
• New housing estates
• Office blocks

Common products included asbestos insulation board, corrugated sheeting, rope, tiles, Artex and boiler lagging.

Hospitals and schools

Many public buildings across the North West were constructed using asbestos-containing materials. Common uses included:

• Lagging on pipework and girders
•  Wall and ceiling tiles
•  Partition panels

Consequently, teachers, doctors, nurses, maintenance staff, and cleaners were all at risk of developing mesothelioma due to exposure in the workplace.