The Social Court number 1 of Vitoria has ordered companies Sidenor and Cofivacasa to pay €216,947 plus interest to the family of a worker who died from occupational illness, after accepting their lawsuit.
Asviami, the Basque association of asbestos victims, reported that the operator worked at the former Forjas from 1983 to 1994 and later continued at Sidenor until March 2000. In February 2022, he was diagnosed with pulmonary adenocarcinoma and passed away a month later.
In February 2025, the INSS recognized all death benefits derived from his passing as an occupational disease.
A 2024 report from Osalan concluded that the worker was exposed to asbestos while working at Forjas, where he operated the hardening furnaces.
Meanwhile, the company "failed to fulfill the obligation to conduct environmental measurements, there were no localized dust extraction systems, workers were not informed of the risk, and specific medical check-ups were not performed." Consequently, the ruling upholds the lawsuit and condemns both companies.
