Asbestos is a silent killer, a fact denied for many years by industry and employers. EILEEN FURSLAND talks to a resolute health and safety campaigner whose efforts to raise awareness of the dangers have been recognised.

Enfield resident Nancy Tait, one of the pioneers who first drew attention to the risks of asbestos over 30 years ago, has recently been presented with a lifetime achievement award.

It recognises her work on behalf of thousands of people who are victims of illness or death caused by asbestos.

She is the founder of the Occupational and Environmental Diseases Association, based in Bush Hill Park, which supports the victims of asbestos-related disease and their families in claiming the compensation and benefits they are entitled to.

The award was given to her by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health.

Nancy said: "The award recognises the efforts of thousands of people who, over the years, have shared my conviction that asbestos kills and that something must be done."

In 1968, Nancy's husband Bill, a post office engineer, died from mesothelioma. At the time it was not accepted that there was any link between asbestos and mesothelioma. Nancy fought for four years and finally proved that there was a link between Bill's occupation and the disease that killed him.

After her story was featured on television, many other people in the same situation contacted her, asking for help.

People started asking questions about the risks of asbestos, and stories began to hit the headlines.

In response, the asbestos industry ran a campaign claiming that asbestos was perfectly safe.

Nancy added: "Confronted by one of its posters at the foot of the stairs at Victoria Tube station, my reaction was, we need an organisation to fight back.'"

In 1978, she formed a charity to support others in fighting for the compensation they were entitled to, yet which was so often denied them.

At the time, the asbestos industry tried to ridicule Nancy's claims that people were at risk from asbestos exposure, but it is now widely accepted that many thousands of people have been affected and will be affected in the next 15 years as the illnesses resulting from asbestos can take years to develop.

Her campaign to protect workers' health has helped to bring about changes in legislation, such as the 1999 ban on importing, supplying and using white asbestos. But Nancy and her team believe there is still a long way to go in alerting people to the risks.

OEDA plans to use the bursary that forms part of the award to publish a leaflet to alert self-employed builders and DIY enthusiasts to the potential dangers of asbestos in buildings and provide some simple advice on steps they can take to protect themselves.

For more information, or if you or your company would like to support the work of the Occupational and Environmental Diseases Association, contact OEDA on 8360 6413, write to OEDA, PO Box 26, Enfield, EN1 2NT or email oeda@oeda.demon.co.uk