Electrician Andrew Winder’s plea for asbestos-awareness training in trades as he faces terminal mesothelioma

Journalist·NZ Herald·30 Aug, 2026 05:00 PM6 mins to read‌Southland man Andrew Winder, 49, was diagnosed with terminal mesothelioma last year. He says his only exposure to asbestos happened decades ago.A young tradie spent the early years of his electrical apprenticeship drilling into hundreds of asbestos-lined switchboards in Southland homes. Two decades on, Andrew Winder is terminally ill with sarcomatoid mesothelioma — an aggressive form of cancer affecting the lining around the lungs — and is calling for employers and