Document 3QorDdOODGp6OL7L5Vd1evx53

IV > rV jkcs.aw- DISTIUCT HOSPITAL SALGOOBLIE. Date. 18 th Septeriber ,...3-5.61.*._, hi* \ I 3>r# H. BayMrd Fennle, Hacgvmrle Chartbere, ifl3Hocguarie Street, mi. Bear Dr# Rennie, Dr, Sunt has kindly forwarded a copy of your reply to his letter concerning conditions at Australian Blue Asbestos, Wittecooa, W.A* By approach to the problem ie entirely rcedical, I am not an engineer and wy concern for the health of the workers at . "Wittencoo, is caused by the masher of men eericaslyr.offacted by . silicoeie/esbesteels, at relatively early * ages and abort . V/ exposures* * . These include a , malignant pleural xaasothelioma after two years as a shift boas In the mill* Jit considerable personal inconvenience, X have visited Wittenooci on two occasions, and *in iay opinion, conditions In the sill were worse in August, 1961 -than in Boweafcer, 1959* In certain levels when a light breose stirred.: the dust, visibility was appreciably reduced* Bunnipg a hand along a rail, produced a mound of black dust containing coarse asbestos fibres* Bands, hair and clothes were filthy with dust after a short time, admittedly eozas of this dust is innocuous* Colour photographs show that the mill and surroundings ere enveloped In a pretty but lethal blue base* boring mr visit, roost of the men were wearing respirators and this, in itself, is a confession of complete failure in dost control* I do not wee how a man can work -in near* century euexter beat wearing a respirator continuously* at any time hia efficiency must be greatly reduced* bust extracted from the mill finds its way into the mein underground air intake* Dry ore residue is dumped a few hundred yards from the main workings and in a breese, blows all over the place* Even In the town ship much of the road end path surfacing is ~-'rJkt of waste material from the mine and blue asbestos fibres are obvious* Sines Department Inspectors have prepared reports on dost conditions at Bittenoons and I would refer you to them. Boring an inspection between August, Ibth and August, 19th, 1961 dust counts of 1COO 4* F*P.C*C* ware pot tmeotaton in mine and mill* This is over three times ta tiY.imMgn permissible WV-04381 m A fhe inspector commented that there were asbestos fibrete in every underground sample (the Konimeter weed for dost sailing is not a reliable instrument for cow ting asbestos fibres)/ Dost end fuues were obvious during the afternoon ehift* **ffe guote6 the following figures Average dust countfor day shift -- June, *60 --'230 M,CC. * ** * -Kov. 60- 180 F.F,C.C. *- Aug* *61 - <420 P.P.C.C* Average dust countforafternoon shift -- Hov. *60 -- 110 F.F.C.C. - W _ Aug* *6t - 630 P.P.C.C. ( All these averages are very crude and the individual ireadings vary greatly# 1 The rrtns' air. seemed japre dust laden than ever, due to ... increased production* Outside sources contribute ,-sad the .. -'r main Adit air is polluted ly duet from the mill (t30..?&CC. in one instance)* . - In the Mill, figures were as followss- Average Dust count . * " *" " -- - June, *60 -- 330 D#D*C*C* Sept. #60 - 420 D.P.C.C. Hov. 60 - 460 D.P.C.C* Aug. *6) - 390' P.P.C.C.* At the primary crusher, figures of 1000 + P.P,C.C. were recorded. These figures speak tor themselves and do not suggest ? *hst conditions have improved over the- last 3 years. . The statement in your letter concerning the lack of *a veil developed conscience" did not come from me. I have always found Mr. Allan and Ur. Thomas courteous and helpful* One cannot help feeling that production comes first and that the health of the workers receives secondary consideration* The primary concern of a Ccsapany, is to produce a-product ---fitably, but it has been shown, time and time again, that apart from gross exploitation of labour, this is best achieved where the Interest and health of `the workers is considered. The contrary, where the product is produced at the expense of the health of the worker, cannot be tolerated in s civilised conammlty. If I thought that this state of affairs existed at Tfittenoom, and I cotde not correct it or else close the mine, I would resign* What I do say, is that the dust hazard la not properly appreciated ' end that the corqpanies attitude la ostrich-like. I am certain that working conditions are not ideal and have very grave -3- r doubts. concerning ths statement that *?erything possible has * teen done* X have reason to belive `that, such of the dost extracting machinery le ineffective at*times and, further, before extracting the dust, eoms wans of disposing pf it away from the workings should be discovered* Increased production should go hand in hand with ventilation and not precede it. Frankly, I do not think that the company (O.S.H. or A.B.A*) know how to control the dust. In little more than 10 years the industry has produced 20 eases of industrial cheat disease (including one proved .cancer} and a number of suspected cases. As the years go on 1 have no doubt that many more will come to light. It should be remeotbered that many experts in this field claim that the 'asbestos fibre takes many years to produce significant pulmonary disease. If this Is true, the man diagnosed now represent " gross pathology and exposure,,and the real nature of the hazard, in terms of disease, may not becos* apparent for another 10 years. Wo one connected with this problem should, reat until . , . conditions at Wittenooia ideal and .tfee foregoing-does.'not : -L- ^suggest that this stage has .been reache&i The known^-hazard ' v'>- ' *'is reel enough but reading papers on pleural mesothelioma * : (notably Wagner, C.A. Slegge 4 P.lfarchand, British'Journal ' ' Indust Wed 1$60, 17, 260)one is left with a-suspicion -that a cet&ln&ticn of 'Individual Idiosyncrasy and minimal asbestos exposure, such as from road surfacing, may be dangerous. I have written this letter because Br. Hunt has secure . Xne of your good fcith and in the hope that your inflttenee may * effect an improvement in the working conditions of the asbestos workers which we have been unable to achieve through the regular channels in W.A. lours faithfully. J. HCHulty CBYST PHYSICTAK