Construction worker warns over 'ticking time bomb' on building sites after cancer diagnosis
A construction worker has been warning others about the dangers that led him to a chronic lung disease and malignant tumours after decades of working on building sites.
56-year-old Dunfermline man Athol Hill started working on construction sites in 1986 at the tender age of 16, and starting out as an apprentice stonemason he said he was cutting up stone right from the start of his career.
However, it meant he was regularly inhaling respirable crystalline silica, also known as silica dust, which can get into the lungs and cause permanent damage and even lead to fatal diseases.
He said that early on in his career there weren't many safety measures in place and a lifetime spent on construction sites has resulted in him being diagnosed with silicosis that has affected his breathing ever since.
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Back in 2000 he was also diagnosed with scleroderma, which makes areas of the skin hard and thick, and required the amputation of his right index finger in 2006.
Both silicosis and scleroderma can be caused by silica dust, which also carries the risk of lung cancer and 'over 100 types of other interstitial lung diseases' according to Scott McGibbon, Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Building.
The health issues it's caused him means he's 'a lot more breathless' at work now, and his breathing is significantly affected by bad weather as he's said it's like a 'ticking time bomb'.
“It’s a great job and I’ve loved it, but when I started I didn’t know it was going to cost me my health,” Athol told PA Real Life.
“I know a few guys who have died due to (complications from) inhaling silica dust and I just want that to stop. It’s too late for me now… but (I’m sharing my story) for the young guys coming through.
“If it can save lives in the future, then that’s a good thing.”
It wasn't until the 90s and several years into his career that he first heard about silica dust, and how his older colleagues were 'suffering from ailments' because of it.
His employer started bringing in breathing tests and chest x-rays as a matter of routine, which is how Athol was diagnosed with scleroderma.
While his finger was amputated he still gets 'ulcerations' on his hands at times.
It was one of his half-annual lung tests in 2010 which found he had silicosis in both lungs and he was told he had the early stages of the disease, with doctors finding that his lung capacity diminished with time.
In December 2021 a change in his breathing had him sent for a CT scan which led to his diagnosis of lung cancer.
“I was gutted, scared and shocked – all of those words and all of the emotions you can imagine," Athol said.
“It felt like a kick in the proverbial you-know-what.”
By February 2022 it was confirmed that he had three malignant tumours and he had half of his left lung removed, doctors said they wouldn't need chemotherapy as they were 'quite confident' they got everything out, but in April 2026 a scan found three more tumours in what remains of his left lung and on his pancreas.
In September he had part of his pancreas and spleen removed, and is waiting to see if he can get chemotherapy as he's been warned that it could make his silicosis worse.
Around 26 percent of silicosis cases in the UK affect stonemasons, as Athol warned: “When you’ve been in this job long enough, there’ll be silica exposure.”
McGibbon, who has a PhD in Construction Project Management and previously worked on construction sites himself, told PA Real Life: “No one should have to face a life-changing diagnosis because the risks of their work were not properly understood or controlled.
“We have an opportunity to prevent thousands of future cases of occupational disease… (but) that requires stronger government leadership, better training, and embedding silica dust management into the way projects are procured, planned and delivered, resulting in consistent use of effective dust controls across the industry.”
He's launched a tool to let construction workers know more about the danger they're in, while Athol has warned that he still sees people not using proper protection when cutting stone.
He said: "Companies can put all the measures possible in place, but it’s still down to the individual.
"Education is the only way you’re going to get the message across, particularly with older workers who are used to just cracking on.
"I’m in the unfortunate position that it’s too late for me, but I’m telling the younger guys that they need to protect themselves from the start and pester their employers for the best equipment that’s out there, so they can work safely and enjoy a long and healthy career.”
Joe Harker
