Unions have welcomed a Supreme Court ruling that establishes workers may claim compensation after 'low level' exposures to a cancer causing substance at work. The Supreme Court this week upheld earlier rulings establishing there was no requirement for a claimant to show a doubling of risk in order to claim asbestos caused their cancer. Commenting on the decision, Christine Blower, general secretary of the teaching union NUT, said: 'This case is of great significance since it is the first time that a former pupil has been awarded compensation for asbestos exposure which took place whilst at school.' She added: 'It has been known for many years that children are more vulnerable than adults to the effects of asbestos exposure, even at low levels. In the last 10 years 140 teachers have died of mesothelioma. If teachers are dying from their exposure, inevitably pupils will die too in later life. Because of the long latency period, however, there are no records of adults who have died because of childhood exposure.' She added: 'The NUT has for many years been calling for an assessment of the asbestos risks to children at school. We hope that this case will lead the government to commission such an assessment. For the sake of the children in our schools we hope that the assessment is carried out without further delay.' Alan Ritchie, general secretary of the construction union UCATT, welcomed the judgment, but added: 'Sadly, this is just the latest in a long line of attempts by the insurance industry to deny compensation to people dying an agonising death.'
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