Millions paid out in compensation for asbestos exposure in prisons

Confront can reveal the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) has received 22 claims relating to diseases from asbestos exposure in the past four years.

In February, Confront showed that prisoners and workers continued to be put at risk from inadequate asbestos management in dozens of prisons across the United Kingdom.

Through a Freedom of Information Act request, we learned about the impact asbestos has already had on prisoners and prison-workers, with the Ministry of Justice (MOJ receiving 22 claims relating to diseases from asbestos exposure in the past four years.

The MOJ added that 11 of these claims have been concluded, with the total compensation paid in settlement of these claims at £3,104,453.33. The remainder of the claims are still under consideration. Asbestos-related diseases can take decades after exposure to develop and are often fatal.

An MOJ official told Confront, “The safety of all who work in our prisons is paramount, which is why we’re investing £500 million into prison and probation maintenance to improve conditions. We’re also conducting comprehensive surveys across all sites to ensure any asbestos-containing materials are identified and managed in compliance with health and safety regulations.”

The spokesperson added, “These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the data, the level of detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system.”

Confront initially requested information dating from 2010, which was rejected by the MOJ, who said they did not have the information stored centrally on how many people in total have filed claims against them for contracting asbestos-related diseases. These figures also exclude private sector prisons, such as those operated by Serco and G4S.

“The effects may not be realised for many years and can be devastating.”

Asbestos continues to pose an ongoing risk and burden to Britons, with millions of tonnes of asbestos still dispersed across the country’s buildings.

Prison Officers Association (POA) Deputy General Secretary ​​Mick Pimblett told Confront, “Asbestos Management with the Prison estate is atrocious and has been made worse by “Outsourcing”. The Tory government’s decision to privatise all prison maintenance in England and Wales in 2015 saw conditions across the prison estate immediately deteriorate.”

The new Labour government pledged before the election to reverse years of outsourcing across government – and the POA are asking for this to be done with prison maintenance too. “The POA is calling for maintenance to be brought back in-house with a return to full works departments in every establishment and that would include Asbestos Management,” Pimblett added.

“The POA are continually undertaking a process to determine asbestos exposure amongst members. The risk of asbestos exposure arises from the presence of asbestos in workplaces, particularly when it becomes damaged due to maintenance work or prisoner disturbances.

“It is important to remember that not everyone who has been exposed to asbestos develops an asbestos-related disease. However, for those who do develop disease, the effects may not be realised for many years and can be devastating. By collecting information now on past/current employment for all members who know or suspect that they may have been exposed to asbestos, POA aims to assist any future claims for compensation for members who develop asbestos-related illness.”

Asbestos was widely used in the UK in the 20th century, but when airborne, the near-invisible asbestos fibres can cause terminal illnesses: mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis. Asbestos was widely used in the UK, particularly in the 1950s to 1980s, despite government and industry awareness that asbestos dust can be fatal. Today, asbestos-related diseases kill over 5,000 people in the UK a year.