The BBC Settles with 11 Families over Mesothelioma Deaths of Former Employees

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has recently paid several families £1.64 million for the deaths of 11 former staff who were exposed to asbestos and died from mesothelioma, and asbestos-related cancer. The BBC staff that was exposed to asbestos held positions such as: make-up artists, engineers, riggers, set builders, studio managers, and television producers from 1959 through 1998.

Staff were exposed at several BBC locations including Broadcasting House in London, Pebble Mill studio in Birmingham, Bush House in London, Alexandra Palace in London, and Television Center in London.

In 2006, the BBC warned employees that they could have been exposed to asbestos in three of their studios at Television Center from 1990 to 2005. They discovered that asbestos exposure was likely possible from asbestos fibers from cable ducts that fell to the floor.

The BBC admittedly exposed set builder, Richard Evans, who worked on the set of Doctor Who and died of mesothelioma. He worked at several of the aforementioned locations where Artex, a coating that contains asbestos, was used.