Custodian's illness linked to asbestos in Acadian Peninsula school

RaymondBaskin, a school janitor on the Acadian Peninsula, has traced his respiratory illness to working around asbestos.

Baskinstarted experiencing shortness of breath in 2013 and went to his doctor for help.

"[The doctor said], 'what you have, normally, you get that from working in asbestos.' I said I didn't think I had been working in asbestos," saidBaskin.

But after some investigation atcolede laRivire, the school he works in,he learnedasbestos was present.The Francophone School District North-East has since removed it.

WorkSafeNBis now compensatingBaskinfor medication and travel.The agency is alsoworking with a South Carolina law firm, Motley Rice, to file claims with American asbestos companies in an attempt to get compensation for injured workers from bankruptcy trusts created by American companies. The agency told Baskin he may receive a call from the firm.

The agencywouldn't comment onBaskin'sfile specifically, butSoniaLanteigne,Privacy and Access to Information Coordinator with WorkSafeNB,sentanemailstatement to CBC News.

"When the worker elects to receive benefits,WorkSafeNBmay bring an action against that person or company in the injured worker's name to recover the damages entitled, including costs of the claim paid byWorkSafeNB, by virtue of the legislative provision of subrogation inWorkers' Compensation Act,"saidLanteigne.

"The Act permitsWorkSafeNBto seek all those damages attributable to the injury from the responsible third party.Throughout this process,WorkSafeNBcontinues to pay compensation benefits to the injured worker."

Meanwhile, RaymondBaskincontinues to work atcoleLaRivire.

Baskintakes natural remedies to treat his pulmonary fibrosis and shortness of breath, and plans to continue working as long as he can.

"According to my doctor, I can be stable for a certain length of time and it can be all downhill for me after that," he said.

"As far as working, retirement was never in my plans.I worked all my life. I'm kind of too old to stop."