TWO former Alcan employees died as a result of exposure to asbestos at the factory, four years after the Banbury firm closed its doors for the final time.
At Oxford County Hall on Tuesday, two separate inquests were held into the deaths of former Alcan employees Terence Jordan and Philip Harper.
Both men died at hospices in Banburyshire earlier this year from lung cancer-related diseases resulting from exposure to asbestos during their working lives.
Coroner Darren Salter recorded verdicts of death by industrial disease for both men.
Mr Harper, who died aged 91, was first employed by the factory in Southam Road during the Second World War and devoted 38 years to working as an electrical engineer for the company.
He died at Banbury’s Green Pastures Christian Nursing Home in February from bronchopneumonia as a result of the rare mesothelioma cancer caused by exposure to asbestos.
Two months later Mr Jordan, 72, who was known as Terry, died of metastatic lung cancer, also caused by exposure to asbestos, at Katharine House Hospice.
Mr Jordan had worked as a maintenance fitter at the factory from 1956 until his retirement in 2007, and the inquest heard as a smoker exposed to the asbestos, his likelihood of contracting the disease was 50 times greater than that of a non-smoker.
Doctor Eve Fryer, who carried out the post mortem on Mr Jordan said: “Exposure to asbestos does increase the risk of developing this type of lung cancer.
“Those who are exposed to asbestos are five times more likely to develop metastatic lung cancer while you are 50 times more likely to develop it if you are exposed to asbestos and a smoker as they have a cumulative effect.”
Both Mr Harper and Mr Jordan initially visited their doctors complaining of increased shortness of breath and both died within months of being diagnosed with their relative conditions.
During Mr Harper’s inquest, the court heard he was diagnosed with mesothelioma in November 2011 after developing a tumour on his lung.
His health rapidly deteriorated and he was admitted to Green Pastures on January 31 for palliative care and visited by his GP Nicola Elliott of West Bar Surgery on February 20, just two days before his death. She said: “He was barely rouseable but comfortable. He was indeed dying.”
Mr Jordan first complained of chest complications in July 2011 and was initially given a spray to treat the pains, similar to that used in the treatment of angina.
He returned to his doctor in September after developing a cough which sometimes contained blood.
A resulting chest x-ray later revealed a small tumour in his lung and in October it was confirmed he was suffering from advanced cancer which had spread to his blood and back.
Despite undergoing radiotherapy, he was admitted to Katharine House Hospice in February and died surrounded by his family on April 12.
Recording the industrial verdict for Mr Harper, Mr Salter said: “The vast majority of cases of mesothelioma are caused by asbestos exposure and knowing what we know about Mr Harper’s work history and knowing the underlying cause of death was mesothelioma I am satisfied the cause of death was industrial disease.”
Speaking about Mr Jordan, Mr Salter said: “There was a very sudden deterioration and it must have been a great shock and very unexpected at how quickly things deteriorated. I’m satisfied the deceased died of metastatic lung cancer contributed to by asbestos exposure during his working life as a maintenance fitter.”
Alcan, which was also known as Alcoa and most recently Sapa, was an extrusion specialist and manufacturer of sheet aluminium.
It first opened in 1931 and during its lengthy stint in the town became one of Banbury’s major employers, employing thousands of people across the area before it finally ceased operations in 2008.
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