THE family of an Abercarn man is appealing for his former work colleagues to help establish whether his asbestos-related death in 2013 was linked to conditions in which he carried out his job.

David Gwilliam, often known by his middle name of Howard, was suffering from asbestosis when he died in March 2013, shortly before his 86th birthday.

He worked at the former Alcan plant in Rogerstone for nearly 50 years, from 1941-1990, then for several weeks in summer 1991.

Asbestosis is a chronic lung condition caused by prolonged exposure to asbestos, and his widow Deborah and son Mike want to trace his former colleagues in the hope they can provide more information about his working conditions.

In particular they hope to establish whether, and if so how, he was exposed to asbestos.

David Gwilliam began working at Alcan as a post boy in 1941, beginning a mechanical apprenticeship in September 1943 and completing it in July 1950 after it was interrupted for his National Service (October 1945-May 1948), which included a spell in Germany.

A tool maker in the Alcan tool room, he moved to the foil mill after the former closed in the early 1980s, initially retiring in October 1990. He briefly returned to work in July 1991, finally retiring several weeks later.

“Much of dad’s life revolved around his family, and he spent much of his spare time at home. However, he also loved his work, and we had other family members who worked at Alcan," said Mike Gwilliam.

"In the 1950s, his elder brother and an uncle also worked at Alcan. His nephew Geoffrey worked there until the late 1970s before moving to Australia. I worked there in the warehouse for a brief period.

“We know that over the many years at Alcan he would have had friends there, and we can only hope a former colleague will remember working with him and can tell us more about his role.

“Knowing that dad was suffering from asbestosis at the time of his death has been very hard, and we are seeking witnesses so we can establish what might have contributed to that.

"There are no doubt other families in the area who have gone through a similar experience to us, so talking about this publicly is important.”

Richard Green, specialist solicitor in asbestos-related illnesses at law firm Hugh James, said it is "vital" to be able to speak to former colleagues of Mr Gwilliam, as his wife and son had only limited knowledge of his employment history.

Former colleagues of Mr Gwilliam who may be able to help, may call Richard Green or Akram Malik on 0808 231 6604.