A man from Gloucester, UK, believes his terminal cancer was caused by asbestos at the data center he worked in for 12 years.

Mervon Jessop, 72, has been given an estimated 12 months to live following his diagnosis with mesothelioma, a lung cancer associated with asbestos exposure, reports Gloucestershire Live.

Jessop worked at a Barclays Bank data center in Gloucester for around 12 years. Speaking to Gloucestershire Live, he said that he spent time in the Barnwood Gloucester Data Centre, which had three blocks - A, B, and C.

Jessop worked in A block starting in 1978 and said it had raised floors and suspended ceilings for the data center cabling. When cables were pulled through the ceiling, it would disturb the tiling and debris, said Jessop, which he suspects contained asbestos.

Gloucestershire Live reports that it is believed that the Gloucester Data Centre was refurbished in 2001 and that asbestos may have been removed at the time and encapsulation work done.

Asbestos is a group of naturally occurring, toxic, carcinogenic, and fibrous silicate minerals that were commonly used as materials in any building built before the year 2000. According to Health and Safety Executive, asbestos causes around 5,000 deaths annually.

DCD has contacted Barclays for comment.

Jessop has engaged a legal team, and is appealing to ex-workmates to offer information.

Helen Tomlin, the specialist asbestos-related disease lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, the firm representing Jessop, said: “Mervyn’s diagnosis is yet another reminder of the devastating impact of asbestos and how the repercussions of exposure are often only known years later.

“Mervyn and his family remain devastated by his diagnosis and what it may mean for the future. While many people often associate asbestos with heavy industry, its use was a lot more widespread.

“If anyone who remembers working with Mervyn, or who has information about the Gloucester Data Centre could come forward, it could prove vital in at least providing Mervyn and his family with the answers they deserve.”

A document from bsi detailing the information security management system at Barclays lists the Gloucester data center as being located at Barnett Way in Barnwood.

This is in the same area as an Indectron data center - a colocation provider operating the "Shield House" data center, but it is not the same facility, the Indectron data center was built in 2018. This is also the only Gloucestershire data center listed by DataCenterMap.