Document 6Bnz7QkwyQMN3qVy4QzDqjb3o

FILE NAME Colonial Sugar Refinery CSR DATE 1961 Sept 18 DOC CSR223 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION Letter to Dr. Rennie from Dr. McNulty RE Addressing Medical Health Hazards of Asbestos at Wittenoom f JMCN AW DISTRICT HOSPITAL Sep1t8te h Smepb tee mbr er 1961 Dr. H. Maynard Rennie Macquarie Chambers 183 Macquarie Street SYDNEY Dear Dr. Rennie Dr. Hunt has kindly forwarded a copy of your reply to his letter concerning conditions at Australian Blue Asbestos Wittenoom V.A. My approach to the problem is entirely medical I am not an engineer and my concern for the health of the workers at Wittenoom is caused by the number of men seriously affected by asbestosis at relatively early ages and short exposures These include a malignant pleural mesothelioma after two years as a shift boss in the mill At considerable personal inconvenience I have visited Wittenoom on two occasions and in my opinion conditions in the mill were worse in August 1961 than in November 1959. In certain levels when a light breeze stirred the dust visibility was appreciably reduced Running a hand along a rail produced a mound of black dust containing coarse asbestos fibres Hands hair and clothes were filthy with dust after a short time admittedly some of this dust is innocuous Colour photographs show that the mill and surroundings are enveloped in a pretty but lethal blue hase During my visit most of the men were wearing respirators and this in itself is a confession of complete failure in dust control I do not see how a man can work in near century | summer heat wearing a respirator continuously at any time his efficiency must be greatly reduced Dust extracted from the mill finds its way into the main underground air intake Dry | ore residue is dumped a few hundred yards from the main workings and in a breeze blows all over the place Even in the town- ship much of the road and path surfacing is e of waste material from the mine and blue asbestos fibres are obvious Wines Department inspectors have prepared reports on dust conditions at Wittenoom and I would refer you to them During an inspection between August 14th and August 19th 1961 dust counts of 1000 + P.P.C.C. were not uncommon in mine and mill This is over three times the maximum permissible concentration of dust containing free allica and the rock mined is highly silicious ; 117 The inspector commented that there were asbestos fibres in every underground sample the Konimeter used for dust sampling is not a reliable instrument for counting asbestos fibres ; Dust and fumes were obvious during the afternoon shift He quotes the following figures Average " " dust -- t count " " for day 11 * " shift #f " - June - Nov. . Aug. '60 - 230 * 60- 180 +61 - 420 P.P.C.C. P.P.C.C. P.P.C.C. Average dust count for afternoon shift - Nov. '60 - 110 P.P.c.c. ( All these averages are very crude and the individual a readings vary greatly The mine air seemed more dust laden than ever due to increased production Outside sources contribute and the main Adit air is polluted by dust from the mill 130 P.PSC.C. in one instance In the Mill figures were as follows Average Dust 11S " count " " " " " - June 60 - Sept. 160 - Nov. 60 . Aug. 61 ~ 330 P.P.C.C. - 420 P.P.C.C. = 460 P.P.C.c. = 390 P.P.C.C. At the primary crusher figures of 1000 + P.P.C.C. recorded . were These figures speak for themselves and do not suggest hat conditions have improved over last 3 years The statement in your letter concerning the lack of a well developed conscience did not come from me I have always found Mr. Allan and Mr. 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 Company is to produce product Titably 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 a civilised community If I thought that this state of affairs existed at Wittenoom and I could not correct it or else close the mine I would resign What I do say is that the dust hazard is not properly appreciated and that the companies attitude is ostrich I am certain that working conditions are not ideal and have very grave ~S bd ran so (or 3 ) doubts concerning the statement that been done . I have everything possible has reason to belive that much of the dust extracting machinery is ineffective at times before extracting the dust some means of and further from the workings should be discovered disposing of it away should go hand in hand with Increased production Frankly I do not ventilation think that and not precede it know how to control the dust the company C.S.R. or A.B.A. including In little more than 10 years the 20 cases of industrial chest disease cancer and a number of suspected cases I have no doubt that many more will come industry has produced one proved As the years go on to light It should and asbestos fibre takes disease If this many is years to produce significant pulmonary true the men diagnosed now represent gross in pathology and exposure the real nature of the terms of disease may not become apparent for hazard another 10 years No one connected with this problem should rest until scuogngdeisttiontshatatthWiisttestnaogoem haarse biedeenal and the foregoing does not is real enough but reading reached The papers on pleural known hazard notably J.C. Wagner C.A. mesothelioma Sleggs & P.Marchand British Indust Med 1960 17 one is left with Journal combinatioonf individual idiosyncrasy a suspicion and minimal that a exposure such as from road asbestos surfacing may be dangerous have this I of written letter because Dr. Hunt has assure me your good faith and in the hope that your influence may Yours faithfully J. McNulty CHEST PHYSICIAN