A wife and mother contracted an industrial disease while washing her husband’s work clothes after he had been working in the turbine halls of Pembroke Power Station, an inquest has heard.

The inquest on Tuesday, November 15, heard that Sandra Dixon was an award-winning dancer in both ball room and Latin American and a popular dance teacher.

She and her family had moved to Sageston after living in Cardiff. While working in the turbine hall of a power station in Cardiff her husband had been about six foot away from the turbines to take readings while the asbestos lagging was removed from the turbines.

His clothes, which would be covered in dust from the lagging, were taken home where Mrs Dixon would launder them.

When the family moved to Sageston Mr Dixon worked at the Pembroke Power Station. In the 80s the asbestos lining was being replaced with rock wool. Mr Dixon was present when this work was being carried out. He would be in his work clothes with no protective equipment.

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Mrs Dixon would launder these clothes twice a week, checking the pockets and brushing off the dust. The inquest hear that she would have inhaled the dust as she did this.

In 2021 Mrs Dixon had a biopsy and CT scan after suffering from pains in her chest.

They showed that she had contracted the industrial disease mesothelioma which is caused by exposure to asbestos.

Mrs Dixon was taken to hospital after she collapsed at her home on August 12 this year. She died in Withybush Hospital two days later, on August 14.

Assistant Pembrokeshire coroner, Gareth Lewis, said that this was a ‘classic case of secondary exposure to asbestos’.

A post-mortem gave the cause of death as sepsis secondary to pneumonia which was brought on by mesothelioma.

Mr Lewis extended his sincere condolences to Mrs Dixon’s family and thanked them for attending the inquest.

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