Asbestos-related cancer has claimed the lives of dozens of people in East Ayrshire over almost four decades, new figures reveal.
MPs have launched an inquiry into how the material is being managed across the UK after serious safety concerns were raised.
Exposure to asbestos can lead to mesothelioma, a type of cancer which affects the lining of some organs, including the lungs.
Health and Safety Executive data shows the disease was responsible for 78 deaths in East Ayrshire between 1981 and 2019 – the latest available figures. Of those, 19 occurred between 2015 and 2019.
This is the highest number of deaths recorded in any five-year period since records began and 12 more than in 2010-2014.
The Work and Pensions Committee, which launched the inquiry, said that despite the importation, supply and use of asbestos being banned in the UK since 1999, it remains the largest single cause of work-related fatalities.
More than 5,000 deaths each year are caused by diseases linked to asbestos exposure, including mesothelioma, lung cancer and asbestosis
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