Asbestos victim Jack Rekert warns employers about mesothelioma
by Katie Lamborn
A former electrician dying from cancer has
issued a chilling warning to employers - put people before
profits.
Jack Rekert, Northfleet, was speaking as the
Health and Safety Executive (HSE) launched a new campaign
today.
The Hidden Killer awareness drive reveals
exposure to asbestos kills 20 tradesmen a week - and the
number is increasing.
The campaign is targeted at the 1.8 million
tradesmen who run the risk of exposure to deadly asbestos fibres
each working day.
And Jack is the living embodiment of those
statistics - which show asbestos- related illnesses claim the lives
of 4000 people every year: more than die in road traffic
accidents.
He asks a simple question: "Why me?"
Jack, of Pepys Close, is suffering
from mesothelioma - an incurable cancer caused by exposure to
asbestos.
Audio: Jack Rekert, on
living with a death sentence
In 1985, he worked on a refurbishment
project which took three nights to complete.
His work involved tearing down ceiling sheets
and knocking down walls. Jack recalls there was dust
everywhere. He was very concerned and spoke to the builder in
charge, who reassured him it wasn't the asbestos dust he
feared.
However, in June 2007 Jack was diagnosed
with terminal cancer, 23 years after he was exposed.
Asbestos-related diseases can take anything
from 15 to 40 years to present themselves.
"It's like someone smacking you in the nose
and you're stunned and you just stand there and you think 'no, this
can't be right.' But unfortunately [the doctors] aren't
wrong."
Jack has been married to his wife Janet for 40
years. They have three children and four grandchildren who
adore him. Jack hasn't broken the news of his illness to his
grandchildren as he fears they are too young to understand
it. 
Jack's just finished his second round of
chemotherapy.
"It's pretty horrendous really, but you've got
to keep going and look on the bright side. They might come
through with something that might cure it all but who knows."
Jack has this message for employers: "Respect
your men: yes, you've all got to make money but also you have got
to look after your men because they are making you money.
"If there is a substance there you don't know
about, query it, get the information. Protect your men."
Jack and his family know he only has a limited
amount of time left but he remains positive: "Every day is a bonus
and you just carry on."
Monday, November 02 2009
Rating: 5/5 (3 votes cast!)