While any day makes for a great opportunity to celebrate the women in your life, International Women’s Day (8th March) gives you one more reason to do so. It’s a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. This highly significant day focuses on improving women’s lives and increasing gender parity (equality between men and women).

The history of women’s struggles for gender equality and equal rights is long and inspiring. All the way from The Seneca falls movement in 1948 all the way to the #metoo movement, women have long been working towards a world of equality.

These stereotypes can hold women back in certain career roles whilst potentially tearing down their mental and physical health. It is evident that women can take on and perfect ‘masculine roles’, therefore it’s crucial to eliminate these stereotypes and stand beside women around the world. By celebrating this day, you will encourage female empowerment and recognition towards women’s rights.

As its international women’s day, we would like to dedicate todays post to the most inspirational woman we know in health and safety also known as Nellie Kershaw. Her legacy will forever live

Nellie Kershaw was one of the first people reported to die of asbestosis back in 1924. She was a young, hardworking British woman who unknowingly went to work that was infested in asbestos inevitably leading her to her death.

Unfortunately, whilst Nellie was on her deathbed  her and her husband begged for rightful compensation from the Turner Brother but ultimately received nothing. She later died.

Nellie Kershaw’s history

Those are the words of Nellie Kershaw – a young, hard-working, once healthy British woman who died in poverty from asbestosis in 1924. Nellie was a wife and mother who unknowingly went to a job for fourteen years that slowly poisoned her. She, and later her husband, begged for rightful compensation as she lay on her deathbed, but ultimately received nothing.

Continue reading on to see how her death changed an entire industry and had the power to save thousands of lives.

Nellie a British woman started her career as a 12-year-old girl in 1903, 5 months later she started working at an asbestos company until she was 26, she later transferred to a textile factory called Turner Brothers Asbestos Company. It was around this time that asbestos commercials were heavily used yet health complaints from workers were growing more common.

It was at age 29 her asbestosis symptoms were so bad she’s had to stop working. She went to the doctors and she was later diagnosed with ‘Asbestos poisoning’ caused at work. Nellies insurer advertised her to seek compensation from her employer under the ‘Workmen’s Compensation Act as her doctor had submitted a National Health insurance sickness certificate of unfitness for work. This certificate should of have given Nellie the authorisation to payment of benefits whilst she was off work.

However, yet did she know that ‘asbestos poisoning’ was not included on the list of applicable occupation diseases, therefore the Turner Brother were under no obligation to pay for Nellie whilst she was off sick. The Turner Brothers were made aware of her application for compensation, they rejected it as they believed it to be extremely dangerous towards their reputation to claim any sort of liability. 20 months later she died on her deathbed with zero compensation.

Asbestos legislations

After her death this led medical professionals to examine her lungs, which confirmed the “mineral particles in the lung originated from asbestos were, beyond a reasonable doubt, the primary cause of fibrosis of the lungs and therefore death”.

Despite the evidence of the research asbestos companies such as The turner company, decided to ignore it and continue on with work without any additional protective measures. This was essentially murder for the future victims to work for the asbestos companies. One study (conducted by the Factory Department of the Home Office) suggested that 80% of the Turner Brothers workers would have evidence of fibrosis).

Taking action – somewhat positive

The turner brothers are just one of the companies that deliberately ignored the asbestos health hazard within their facilities and continued the trend of people getting ill and dying without compensation. There is somewhat a positive being the first asbestos related death documented urged people to do more research which urged future changes, igniting education and public awareness.

Asbestos is now a banned material and could not be used in any building past the year 2000. However, as this was only banned 24 years, it still remains in many buildings today. Sadly, its construction workers that will take the brunt of the consequences of asbestos.

What you can do to help

We advise anyone that is likely to work with asbestos to take an asbestos awareness course, as the implication of exposure is way more significant compared to not being aware at all. As you can see from Nellie’s story, if she had known she wouldn’t of had her life stolen away from her.

You can book an asbestos awareness course by clicking here and complete it in under 2 hours for a discounted price of £13.50.