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Asbestos alert for teachers

Adam Derbyshire
12/11/2003

UNION chiefs are appealing for former staff members to contact them after a teacher died from an asbestos-related lung disease.

The National Union of Teachers made the appeal after it learnt that woodwork teacher John Murphy, 57, died from the industrial disease mesothelioma. He taught at Hartshead High School, Ashton, from the late 1970s through to the 1980s.

A classroom block was subsequently demolished when a team of removal specialists was called into the school.

Despite being a keen sportsman who played squash, tennis, and football, Mr Murphy, formerly of Hallworth Avenue, Audenshaw, eventually had to take early retirement in 2001 due to ill health.

He was diagnosed with a malignant lung tumour in June 2002 and died at Willow Wood Hospice last December.

An inquest into his death earlier this year concluded it was caused by the "industrial disease mesothelioma".

Now Tameside's local branch of the NUT is compiling a register of all former members of staff who worked at Hartshead High during the 1960s and '70s.

Chairman Mike Custance said: "There is no immediate need to panic, but we felt that in light of the coroner's findings we should start tracking down all members of staff who may have been exposed to asbestos while employed at the school.

"Between the times stated, hazardous materials were used in the construction of the school building and we fear this may have caused health problems in the years since.

"Tameside Council do not have any records stretching back over that period, so we are relying on people to come forward and help us complete our list."

No comment was available from Tameside Council at the time of going to press.