Document 447gE57G458gvoqR72bx3pydN

Friday, 2nd Decanter, 1966 NOTES ON MEETING OF ASBESTOS FIBRE IMPORTERS AT OFFICES GF CAPE ASBESTOS In the chair Secretary Mr. R. T. Lewis of Cyprus Asbestos Co. Mr. M. J. Brasier of A. A. Brasier & Co. (Asbestos Corp.) A fu3.I list of those in attendance will be rnprlied by Mr. Brazier with his report. AGENDA )i) Report on current difficulties at scroe London Docks. (.-) T'n refusal of P.L.A. labour to handle asbestos fibre pek-d in impervious bags. Mr. Lcvlr., the Chairman, was personally involved as t'o nin car* concerned Cyprus fibre packed in Jute continued... 3 Could bn serious. Could involve shipments being r do to less convenient ports at higher cost to cuetcvcrs. Essential uBers co-operate in accepting :i".hof to:) fibre in approved bags* 5) To flier '.;s tin possibility of a joint policy on future forkin'- rt-Mu'.ords for shipments of aabestos into the U.K. (o) F'cha-lng, palletisation or containerisation. lhsre wno a great deal of rather rambling discussion on this. The general idea Becmed to be that attention (Mould be pnid to the quality of the present acceptable paper lined hessian bag before trying to develop something new. On pallets Hr. Brasier stated that in conversations with shipping people they had commented that as far os they were concerned it would be a long time before they had an adequate supply of pallets available. It was also stressed by some wbo had carried out teste that palletisation alone was not the pnrwer as, obviously, baga on pallets could be punctured quito easily. Therefore, some additional form of protection, for example cardboard, was necessary, all of which increased the eoat. Reference wos made to containers holding several tons being conoidsred, but although this could be the answer in the future, it was useless until facilities were available for discharge and handling at most ports and users' plants. (b) Quality standards for jute, paper and polythene. It wa3 considered desirable to suggest to the Ministry of Labour that they be rather more specifio in this respect, as this would give the various importers more guidance as to what experience had shewn to be acceptable. Mote for JM internal consideration. Cur own bags are very poor and the quality of the burlap is low. It should be appreciated that no continued............. -a - useful purpose will be Berved by using a package i's-t gimply conforms to the rather vague specifi cation but it must be effective. Failure to do ao my i;cll lead to labour ot U.K. docks refusing to rcccpt and handle this type of package as in fact they are already doing st some London docks. (c) andardo lor scaling and sewing bags. THs corceclcd to be very important since it iz u'.rlcas to have impervious bags if there is d r::cr of leakage at the joints. (d) Irl.exchange of reports on trial shipments of new pochim-n, palletisation etc. The r.eneral feeling was that this was desirable, but vest, present said they would have to refer bock to their principals for permission. W. Scott of Cape no; >i tied they have a trial shipment en routs from Imlh Africn on pallets. The type of packing used i" co longer a matter Just between supplier and cuntomr, but is subject to approval by the Ministry of Labour, Unions and their medical advisers and idIpping linos. Therefore, it was in our Joint interests to exchange information. Reference was rise mde to the possibility of obtaining more information ns to what work had been done in Canada in t l;ls respect, where oo-operation on such matters in much more advanced than in South Africa. \ I w | * i \ ! 6) Tho Ministry of Labour's proposed revisions of the asbestos industry regulations. (a) This io generally considered to be a matter for the v rliiiij asbestos manufacturing associations. continued L In ol this was so* but I pointed out, and others .-'t-r- r ], that many users considered their asbestos fibre rupplicrs as the exports and, therefore, camo to ?? l'or advice. This was particularly so when the lc>c?l factory inspector had proved exceptionally f'i ft lcil.lt. (h) if? -irbeator importers afe cnrlly already complying rldh the proposed alterations to these regulations b-r 'ddrrinf* in impervious bags. It i-'o ~|-.reod this is so. Buggcctlonr. lor refuting and correcting misleading ioferr"jtton circulated in the Press, particularly the Sunday Timer.. T!-r* i'i3, of course, considerable resentment about V.* LI 'nr.iul propaganda, but in general it was agreed Unt any efforts to counter attaok with replies in t.!\- Press would do more harm than good. The Board of directors of Cape Asbestos and Turner and Newall hrd both rejected any idea of a counter campaign in th*' Press. tMn feints worci- 1. rn'- roply to be effective must be immediate and it could he difficult to arrange an agreed response from a group such aa ours. 2. t of tho letters are of a medical naturo, reply . to v*hleh vould bo useless unless written by a neutral doctor of high standing. 3. Tho damage is done with the initial letter and reply t'O'.ild lead to further expansion of the correspondence lr-ding to even more publicity. b. L ro'irbly more damage is done by dock side local newspet rrs ruther than the National Press. V' i. 1. r.rc. T'uM'r, a 1. "hour T'l , is to ask r. question in the House rn 125 h ! '.^r rr fording asfcepton fibre. fetalis not known. Ccutr::l . ! n- 'nili. -d that the/ bad rectived a shipment in 1/ ?: t"e h r. Ttr.ro will he no p.ore. Vo f ii>r< i ' 1 i- ill tf- rfilled for carl/ .Jcnusry by which time H ' 'it" ; in -t 'dr r >' i-.ka nbonlc* bf.e crvetelliced end it is also hoc ! r l ^clsic in will be available' on exchange of in to- ;- M.f dr > :rtr: *. trial shipments.