Welsh Family Appeals for Witnesses Following Father’s Asbestos-Linked Death

Diagnosis and Health Deterioration

Gwyn Robert Price, a 66-year-old father of three, was under the care of the respiratory team at Royal Glamorgan Hospital in 2020 when he underwent a CT scan, and was diagnosed with multiple asbestos-related conditions, including fibrous pleuritis and pleural plaques.

Over the following months, his health deteriorated, with worsening breathlessness, significant weight loss, and loss of appetite. In October 2021, he was admitted to the Royal Glamorgan Hospital in Llantrisant, where he sadly passed away just a few days later.

Post-Mortem and Investigation

A post-mortem examination confirmed that he had suffered from significant respiratory issues, and an inquest concluded that his condition had most likely been caused by asbestos exposure during his employment.

Following the coroner’s conclusion, Mr Price’s family has instructed the industrial disease team at Simpson Millar to investigate how and when he was exposed to asbestos and whether more could have been done to protect him.

Career and Appeal for Witnesses

A once sociable and active man who enjoyed sports, including football, karate and fishing, after leaving school Mr Price achieved a bricklaying qualification at Llwynypia Tech College before working in various jobs, including as a painter and decorator, and in a shoe factory.

In 1982 he took a role as a storesman at RAF St Athan, where he worked for more than 15 years, and where he was responsible for issuing and storing equipment and parts, as well as managing inventories, before he retired in 1998 due to ill health.

Speaking to his doctors prior to his death, it was during this time that Mr Price said he may have come into contact with asbestos.

His family is now appealing to anyone who worked alongside Mr Price at any stage of his career to come forward with information and are particularly keen to hear from those who have knowledge of the working conditions at RAF St Athan during the 1980s and 1990s where he spent the majority of his career.

Anthony Waddington, a specialist industrial disease lawyer at Simpson Millar who is supporting the family, said: “Mr Price’s family were deeply saddened to learn of the coroner's conclusion linking his death to asbestos exposure.

“Tragically, after his initial diagnosis, his condition deteriorated rapidly, leaving the family with many unanswered questions about the working conditions he may have endured. We are eager to hear from anyone who remembers working alongside him and may have vital information.

“Given the significant time he spent at RAF St Athan before retiring due to ill health, and his recollection of the working conditions during this time, we are particularly keen to speak with those who worked with him at the base during the 1980s and 1990s.””

Contact Information

If you have any information that could assist, please contact Anthony Waddington at Simpson Millar on 0345 357 9200 or via email at [email protected].