The BBC has been charged with the death of a set builder who contracted asbestos-related cancer while working on various drama series. Richard Evans’s widow is demanding compensation from the broadcaster, The Guardian writes on Sunday.
The BBC previously admitted to the British Supreme Court that the set designer was exposed to asbestos between 1965 and 1988 when he worked with a certain type of plaster. In those 23 years Evans worked for, among others, the drama series Doctor Who . He also built sets for The Lotus Eaters from the 1970s and an adaptation of Charles Dickens’ Hard Times .
“When I worked for the BBC, I was not warned about the dangers of asbestos, nor was I given protective gear for my respiratory tract,” Evans said in a statement.
‘Could have been prevented’
Helen McTighe, the set maker’s daughter, told the British newspaper: “It was very intense to see how quickly my father deteriorated,” said Helen.
“No one ever thinks that their parents will one day be gone. It’s so hard to accept that this could have been avoided if he hadn’t worked with asbestos.”
It is not the first time that relatives of former employees who died from the effects of asbestos cancer have brought a case against the BBC. In July, the widow of a musician from the BBC symphony orchestra sued the media company for 36 years of exposure to asbestos at the Maida Vale studios in London. The relatives of another orchestra member, violinist Edwin Dodd, are also taking legal action against the broadcaster.