An inquest into the death of a former Bord na Móna employee, who died from an asbestos-related cancer, heard claims today the deceased was exposed to asbestos while working at one of the company's briquette factories over 50 years ago.
Jim O'Dwyer, 80, was diagnosed with an asbestos-related tumour last August. The father of six died last October.
Mr O'Dwyer, from Shannon, Co Clare, was employed as an electrical maintenance worker at Bord na Móna's briquette factory at Derrinlough, Co Offaly, from 1960-1965.
His family claimed during the inquest hearing at Limerick Coroner's Court that he was exposed to asbestos at the Offaly plant and that he was also exposed to asbestos while working in the UK around the same time.
One of Mr O'Dwyer's relatives claimed in the hearing that Mr O'Dwyer told him he had been exposed to asbestos while "mixing the asbestos by hand and forming it into lagging pipes".
The deceased started showing symptoms 30 years after, his family said.
The results of Mr O'Dwyer's post mortem showed he died from Mesothelioma, an "aggressive form of cancer", which the inquest heard is specifically associated with asbestos exposure.
Limerick City Corner John McNamara said: "Mesothelioma is an aggressive form of cancer, and it is a marker for asbestos exposure. It is a dormant killer that manifests itself many years later."
Mr McNamara pondered during the hearing, whether or not others, who worked at the Offaly plant could potentially have been exposed to asbestos.
The jury's findings were that Mr O'Dwyer's death was "due to occupational hazard" involving "asbestos".
As a "rider" linked to its verdict, the jury foreman called on the coroner to contact Bord na Móna to investigate if there was any present potential asbestos-related safety matters at the plant.
Mr McNamara said the jury's verdict of "occupational related death" was an "appropriate one".
"The findings are in accordance with the medial evidence that James died as a result of exposure to asbestos. I will contact Bord na Mona in Co Offaly, advising them of James's case, and the fact it was felt he was exposed to asbestos while he worked in their plant," Mr McNamara said.
"I will ask them to confirm, if they haven't already, that they have commenced an investigation to confirm there is no further risk to members of the public or employees of Bord na Móna at their plant in Co Offaly.
"I'm assuming at this stage that any asbestos-related issue has been removed from the factory...because it is over 50 years ago," Mr McNamara added.
