Document 7OrkzN5MK4Z6gMvXL375oD6ZE

FILE NAME Colonial Sugar Refinery CSR DATE 1961 Oct 25 DOC CSR045 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION Letter to Dr. Rennie from Dr. McNulty RE Asbestosis - Wittenoom Caused - Specific Cases SIM DON Exhibit 1406 JMON FG TV the DISTRICT HOSPITAL seveKALGOORLIE KALGOORLIE ccccccecns room 25th October 1961 - Dr. H. duynurd Rennie M.A.C.P. M.A.C.P. Lond C.P , Macquarie Chambers 183 Mucquarie Street SIDNEY N.H -- Dear Dr. Rennie Many thanks for your letter and for your interest in the health of workers employed by Australian Blue Asbestos At a meeting in Perth recently between representatives of the Company and Mines and Public Health Department we discussed the situation and it is to be hoped that theries now a better appreciation of the seriousness of the consequences of dust in the mine and mill I was able to supply details of 34 men seriously afficted afficted by a mixture of asbestosis und silicosis whose disease could reasonably be attributed to Wittenoom One of them is dead already and ut least 3 are dying There are also 22 men in whom there are reasonable grounds for sus- pecting that they are developing disease The man who died was aged 48 and worked about 2 years in the mill Post mortem showed gross asbestosis and silicosis and a malignant cancer of the pleural directly attributable to his work in itten 013 I am seriously concerned that these Canc Gof Gof the pleura which are being reported reported in large numbers Iro Nouth Africa are due to an individual sus- ceptibility and minimal exposure to blue asbestos Crocidolite Cryolite pears to cause lung cancers 15 3 5 2 had " 11 ... less 4 9% than " 1t of 5 years 6 ... 7 we -- 8 mining " ... 10 11 41 abt 10 or ore yeon uining * oom +3 11 started 4 mining 11 in 1950 1951 4 5 10 5 1952 1953 11 0 0 1954 3 1 LJ 1955 " 1957 6 11 are men age less than 35 years are aged less than 40 23 are less than 50 years of age 14 were ground miners 20 Suri workers It It might be argued that these are u product of the bud ol days but 1 would counter that by saying that these men repre ent the grousest of exposure exposure to dust and that the real health hazard will not be reulized for another 10 years particularly th Gncera Gncera These men are also the majority of workers who remained at year showed itinoom itinoom that over for 70 more than 5 years of workers had been A survey last less than 2 years in the ployment ployment o the company The Company may resent uy interference hat only oral pressure is being exirte and it is my wish that the situation he improved and controlled without adverse publicity Yours faithfully J. Mculty ANY CHET ANY CHET CHET : ICIEM : ICIEM ICIEM