Clothing Manufacturer with Royal Ties Convicted of Asbestos Crimes
When you think of asbestos crimes cashmere socks and the Royal Family are not generally what come to mind. However a well-known company that manufactures the socks and other high-end knitwear in Great Britain – with a special Royal Warrant to produce socks for Prince Charles himself- was found guilty of putting its workers at risk during renovation work that occurred last year.
The Welsh clothing firm Corgi Hosiery Ltd, located in Ammanford, owns and operates a factory which, before demolition, was built with a roof loaded with asbestos. The managing director of the company, Chris Jones, called in Dragon Cladding, a roofing company based in Cross Hands, to redo the entire roof, however, neither Jones nor Dragon Cladding took any measures to ensure the safety of factory workers. In fact, they required work at the factory to go on as if nothing was out of the ordinary the whole time the demolition and re-roofing project was going on.
Asbestos, especially when disturbed during renovation and demolition projects is extremely dangerous. Airborne fibers cause deadly diseases including mesothelioma – for which there is neither a cure nor effective treatment.
By requiring workers to stay in the contaminated facility, and furthermore failing to inform them of the danger, Corgi hosiery could very well be responsible for future asbestos diseases.
The evidence against the company was so strong that it only took a jury 25 minutes to convict the company after a relatively short week-long trial in a Swansea Court. Chris Jones broke down in the courtroom and had to be consoled by his sister, the other co-managing director of the company.
The family owned company was founded by Rhys Jones, Chris’s great grandfather, in 1892 and earned a reputation for their luxury cashmere products. No doubt, at one time, the factory was state of the art but in light of the health hazards associated with asbestos, public and official positions on asbestos containing materials have changed drastically.
The discovery was made after Health and Safety Executive Inspectors were tipped off by an anonymous informant. When inspectors arrived they found asbestos all over the Ammanford facility, including clumps of it inside and outside the building. Indeed, asbestos contaminated refuse was outside the building on pallets, which truck drivers then refused to take after identifying the materials. The specialist brought in to remove the hazardous material, Paul Hart, was quoted as being “shocked” by the conditions he discovered.
In addition to the company itself being found guilty of endangering employees, Dragon Cladding’s foreman Stuart Phillips was accused of and pleaded guilty to failing to take reasonable precautionary methods to prevent exposure.
The asbestos contamination is expected to cost the company upwards of one million pounds, roughly $1.6 million. Decontamination experts have already removed over two hundred thousand pounds of materials including yarn, computers, and paperwork.
If you have been exposed to asbestos and are coping with a diagnosis of mesothelioma, you have a right to file an asbestos lawsuit against the manufacturers of the products responsible for your illness. Contact us today for a free case evaluation from an expert mesothelioma attorney. Unlike other law firms, we exclusively handle mesothelioma lawsuits and have for over 30 years!
