A life at sea under the insignia, those of the Navy, worn since childhood, a life in contact with the asbestos that those ships covered them. A death that now finds justice in a courtroom: the Ministry of Defense was sentenced to pay compensation for damages for the family of Francesco Volterrani. Pisano, from Cascina, did the whole process from the non-commissioned officers’ school to the bridge, from 1965 to 1997 and just six years later, on March 28, 2003, died from the consequences of exposure to carcinogenic material contained in the insulation of the ships on which it served. A battle led by Ezio Bonanni, president of the National Asbestos Observatory, who reassures, as much as possible, his wife Stefania and their children Riccardo and Annalisa. We are content with the result after years of battles that are not always easy – the latter comments – the hope of being able to make sense of the death of our father what made us go forward.

The Ona has obtained from the ministry first the recognition of the cause of service and the quality of victim of duty (with the determination of an initial compensation), then taking action for the protection for damages. In the court’s technical report, the experts, Dario Consonni, Bruno Murer and engineer Laureni, underline that there was exposure to asbestos in the form of widespread dust. There was no use of individual and collective protection devices, localized aspiration, of the emission products of the workings, control of the microclimate. There was no clear separation between the sites where the asbestos was treated and released. No protective suits were available, those for emergency drills were made of asbestos. There was no risk-targeted medical visit.