A grieving widow has said her husband was killed by the job he loved, and his death could have been prevented if he had been given proper protective equipment. Lee Walker, a forehearth specialist at a Rotherham glassworks factory, died in 2025 at the age of 58 from hypersensitivity pneumonitis, a life-limiting lung condition caused by inhaling hazardous mould particles at his workplace.
Mr Walker began working at Beatson Clark in 2008, maintaining machinery that shapes molten glass into bottles and jars. In 2017, he developed breathing problems and struggled with everyday tasks such as carrying shopping. His health rapidly declined, and he was forced to retire in 2019. The couple moved to Cleethorpes by the sea in a bid to improve his symptoms, but his condition worsened. Turning over in bed left him breathless, and he suffered violent coughing fits that once broke a rib.
Exposure to Aspergillus Mould
Aspergillus, a common mould found in damp housing and older buildings, releases fungal spores into the air. While not harmful to everyone, it can cause severe respiratory conditions in susceptible individuals. Under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH), employers must assess and control worker exposure to such hazardous biological agents. A 2018 report by Beatson Clark, which Mr Walker was unaware of, revealed that the company's water systems were contaminated with dangerously high levels of aspergillus. The contaminants were released into the air as vapour during his daily work. According to his lawyers, Mr Walker was never given a health risk assessment or personal protective equipment (PPE).
Mr Walker and his wife launched a legal claim against the company. In December 2024, Beatson Clark admitted breaching its duty of care and paid a six-figure settlement. Tragically, Mr Walker died just months later, in March 2025, at the Prince of Wales Hospital in Grimsby with a severe chest infection. His wife recalled his final days: 'I messaged him at night, said good night, and on Friday night, I didn't get a message back. I woke up Saturday morning and had not got the message, and I messaged him again, morning, How did you sleep? How are you doing? And I got no answer, and I just got dressed and went straight to the hospital. When I got there, nurses were fussing round him, and he kept saying, 'I'm going, Lisa, I'm going.' He told nurses, 'I don't want to be in any pain. I don't want to be gasping for breath. Just put me to sleep.'
Widow's Anger and Grief
A year on from his death, Ms Walker said she feels robbed of their future. 'It's so maddening that this man, you know, he's gone to work and he's provided for his family, all his life. You know, from leaving school, he's worked all his life, and then for him to go into a job he loved so much, and to get this illness, that, you know, ultimately killed him, it's just so maddening. It just makes me so mad that I've lost him because of doing a job that he loved.' She added: 'I feel absolutely robbed… he was 58, it's no age, you know. I see other couples, you know, older couples, and I look at them, and I could just cry because they just think that should have been Lee and me.'
Alison Gregory, of Thompson's Solicitors who led Mr Walker's case, said: 'You should be able to go to work and, you know, not get injured, but unfortunately, this is still happening. They [Beatson Clark] should have had it risk assessed, but it wasn't the risk assessed. No [executive protection assessment] was provided; it only really came to light when Lee was having his problems. Given that we're working with water systems, there was no testing of the water when he was working there. There were just no end of failings, quite frankly… massive failure.' Philip Liptrot of Thompsons Solicitors added: 'This is yet another example of a devastating and entirely preventable death. Mr Walker was exposed to dangerous conditions at work and paid the ultimate price, and his case sadly reflects the wider human cost of industrial disease which extends far beyond the individual worker.'
Company Response
Eddie Pickering, managing director of Beatson Clark, said: 'Our deepest sympathies remain with Lee Walker's family and loved ones, and we recognise the profound impact his death has had on them. This was an isolated case and we have not received any other claims of this nature. The health, safety and wellbeing of our workforce is our highest priority. We maintain stringent safety procedures and continue to invest in improvements and innovations designed to protect our colleagues.'
Aspergillosis affects between 3,288 and 4,257 people a year in the UK and can be fatal, according to research from the University of Manchester. Thousands of people suffer from the health effects of deadly aspergillus mould each year. The fungus is classed as a hazardous biological agent, and employers are legally required to protect workers from exposure.
