Document 7RyNgGxEj78RqVbRw4LwEjqka

Sama Quaatiofte and Aa**ax* coccarolnt Bulletin Cover Story 'la there akiller ip your bom<i". July b, IWt. . V fr-i* * V*t &usrr&U*B Uu Aibeitof tty. tt4., aso C.S.I.. *vr thit a cftract rcUtiensbip fu provao becw*e& eroc^Ute, or Hue sibeotoc and * nucfe rirt caacet celled seedthelioaa* Id tbo early 2960*8 dp to tha clceure of Vltttww-i in I966T .. , .* .u -j -- :*o. the itedlca) literature retore ce keener** paper 1a I960 a> the ftrat to tni~c*t a relst iojahlp between aebeeto* exposure and pleural BsetLeJS*&a. Ar a tteetlns of tha Stw TotV Acadewy Science puVlleho* in heerier 1565, considerably *orc evidence ooerfiet?, although cner* a atiU corza controvoray. It vai not until that the flrat health regulator? authorities {in thr r.r.) ciyhteeed up * rculaticoo rovenalcg the fcaodiiryr ofr.aafceatos. X-*lo labourer die of aeiotholhna at hltcaocs In 19601 no la 19C1. Plcare! Buiotheltonn caused tha dtath of sec vho fc*i worked In the nil! fren 1947 to 1949. The case vai described by Or. KcSulty iit the Journal of Australia 1a 2962. Old ++Jnm of Chief U haveno wiitec# at preaet.t that t.h.-. vere ' A4 ot this at the tie*. A search it beta* sutde *oC A.t.A* tsaotde which have been ecored at Cotelo lUulwry. Va# Or* HcKulty "alvayt on (the Coy's) kacl**t Xc i* probably lair to soy that IteXulty vac "Always ea their barks* with respect to Che federally dusty coalitions aC vitcauooa. Kovevcr, Hcutty of the V.A. iieparLuent *fJ PLAINTIFFS WV-04410 public AUu tins othat groups cooceraJ wucL aa the ttioee r-eparteeut u<i tli Stutc CcvrrscfiC ZcuMtraocc Office vcre ealoly concerned with lwprevisf. the dusc reducing cjieurH wichlo the r.ecereLly accepted eteodarde ot that Clt* with teepect CO e1>e<Eoele. Vhat wore the contact by cheat provp# with bittenoonl There war-periodic visit# by various Oepartneat *of'iE&es Inspectors. free 1946 che W.A.Deperteeuc f Health Introduced a systex vherety each new employee vu medically examined end : -rayed before being eeploycd. leery twelve nootha a mobile clinic visited the nine end every esploye* v x-rayed. ley pneuaoceoleals esses (Include osbescoals) ' re adviced by beelt** Department cod liability vae vested lo the State Coversmeot Insurance Offlee. *'"*. * # .i Old A4S.I,' uW notice of those* reeoceendatIona? Ye* there were continuing Improvements during the cnotseef Vittenoon's Victory. Dust collection tyatoa vete installed is the old alll prior to Ite closure la the late ItSO'e and were built into the tv ad11 which opened in 1959. however there were difficulties due to the abrasive nature of the dust aad difficultly of nalatenaaee. Vera dust eeaturemeata Bade at VltCe&oocit. Tee# * lo aarly MU e foil tine vestHatlone officer vat appointed who** duties included this. An expert Iron the School of Fuhllc Health. Sydney, also eurveyod the nine aad Bill In 1964. Yble votk did show high esaeeatratlo&a of asbestos duat la air In the all1.. ftesplxator# ware' leaved to all employees at operating atatlona la the mill although tba beat Halted their uec. r' <U 1 vUt do bapftTtvtui file* "fcaxdly auppott*' f.S.K.*4 XeeXetrure tU*C it did evvryeUie* that vaa recomcetfed? A. A fiureb ii belo& uJe of i.U./'e rcocit Coe apccUlc correapoodence on cblfl. tic*ever, discussion* with C.S.C. stiif formerly employed et Uiceeaeeo indicate that that the &1L1 and nine workeu unJer clove Caveraucnt . ' eea union luapcetlotui ena chat l*b*A~ enforced the Moing ac* Bad tU -mtto2 uaitr 1C to clw 21*11. ' * ~ Q. ( A. 14 the litnea :`pxtseat <tr. Ucyle&d) threat?* to clcaa the uioeT C.3.X. a&affwbe forecrly worked et ttUtcuoo* believed that If thd'ainc did not-accord with Ceveraoant atandarde It could be abue down et any tine. A search of A.fi.A'a record* ahould reveal any comipo^iace oc this ratter. V** Wi CSlt. Teds* 1a carrying on doing operation* at Wlttcaooft (u hell*a article Infer*) In the light of the nectar* of blue aabcato* io causing m4otheiio*a? It li only la the leet fev yeera that the particular danger* { . of blue aabesCva vlth reaped to ecaothelloae ere beceeing severally accepted, tve*: ao, there la attll son* controversy over the ^uaetlon of doac-reepooae an1 the type* of aebeatoa reeponelble. The natter la not ** cut and dried a* lull's article ou*ge*t#. * In the light of today* knowledge, it would have been real**, but at the tlws both the company end the Covezaoeat ?-- jrefuletory euthorltlae were eadaevoorla* to work within . lisle* act with reaped to eabeatoiia, which ere vety /____ dlilare&l Iron tooae which would apply today with reaped''-----to uMtUlinu, *\ - . . B ! it ttu of 41 Bi`U ectft J>y levity (i.a ...fereflce Is lit 1$^} 24 mIou <vf CtotlfUefio)? Ho, la the cootac of Jlall's article 1C It cronly aleleeCing,. The fljFjTVo cczrs free a paper presented by Hcflulty few years Of e total of 101 men vlto vested at Vittenoos sod vbo have developed pouwce&letli, 41 vere tcllX workers vbo ted net verted tinderyround.or In other vines. Of these, 14 have died hut only one__ free tcflotheUors and one fran another type of lung cancer* Vfcet are the <arrant facts with respect to deaths free* neaothelio&n of people formerly employed at Vittanoeat A copy of .a report .svrltten 1* 1973 hy W. *. Xatuire, medical officer of tbeV.A. Mince Separtmtat says that there, are 142 cases of asbestos!* and silicosla/asbea tosls and mix cases of Besockalioan amongst people vbe have vorted at Vlttoaoon. A total of 27 nee are known to here died. Including 5 from meaothelLowa and 7 free other lung cancer. Of the fire know to hare died from mesothelioma one vas the ease diagnosed In ISbfl who dlod u 1941. The others hare been dlagunsed since 1949. The time interval from exposure Co blue asbestos and death vat fro* 13 to 22 years* Are 10 to 15 percent of the 20,050 people who verted at Vlttenoe* at one time or another likely to contract esottelloua ns nail suggestat There is Insufficient knowledge for anyone to even hasard a tue*s A 1973 report from South Africa (the only otter country which tea cescaarclaXly produced blvo asbestos) shove 232 reported cases of BOMt'AcUsM. 78 of these eapoamre to blue Asbestos from coinlot operation*. South Africa has been producing blue asbestos since 191$. tnd ac .a rate In excess of 30,0tf0 tons per year since 1950. Compare Wittenootn's production rate of between 10,000 to 15,000 eons annually between 2956-1966. What is being done to find eat how tsany people employed at Witeenoom might contract netoti.ci inr.a?. frofeasor ttichatl ikfcbe, Associate Professor of Epidemiology and Social HaAictae at die Coiversity of Western Australlo la carrying out survey on health problems associated with people vorfcl&g with asbestos, lu particular with respect to people who have worked at Wittenoou. Kobbe has cold us that C.S.R. (through Hr, Leith in forth Office) had been moat co-operative and helpful by Baling personnel records available. . Dr, Smythe (C.S.E. Research) is visiting forth" on 8th July to discuss our further support of Professor Robbs work with hie. Is C,$!U doing anything to assist employees who worked at Vitteooo* who are eov suffering or are likely to suffer from aasothellomat As a natter of course. A.2.A, fty. Ltd, (the operating company of the day) has met its full legal obligations to any employees suffering as a proven result of service at tficteaooo. Compensation is handled by the W.A, Government Insurance Office under U.A+ law. Whatever cases have come to our knowledge ve have assisted in the course of events to help people obtain compensation. The natter is of continuing concern to us because of the possibility of new cases arising. We would certainly .do whatever we could to assist people obtain compenaation 'where a condition va dearly attributable to service at Wf.trimrmm mine. * blue bcto i* fertile u*#<l la C-S.li. *'*- t^Uy. <Xt*t msbwt*, ootaly ctirymotlU mxuS ekette*:? ~ Ou**Utic of eaoaite, biu* ud io ifcncorlteh fecierl** for the pr4*ctlov o! *>* to* cowot* 5, '.s' .;;* ** Cotcord for th* production of Wcfl floor tU<rmd-lar"** ***** for *bc Jointly cet*r.u for CypsUck,-**' t. * *r ' Ho** type* of a*!;*-,to* etc considered lc*a dangeredexbAs p* ` *<-<* *' Wtftflifllit*' 0>laf wit* 4 .,'j.wfc to r-z.'fi'ergy <*V <4tco. i-.vr A-*aJ -.wv Vfcac precautions ore hein* tafcc-u i* cJo factories to proto *.. *'?loyei'ris? reepetv . o 4t 4 to the Vmtarlltfti factories there toe bvuo * cootieM**"*^ At liaison with the C-cj*rt**ca of Lsboa? e*d ledoftry cO tb* Vlriulou of Occultton*l BaltU to improve <jUist erefcicitea . K` &! coi-trol e^uipuent to ensure tbet ooy acbMte >,A-^5S. ** in tte vorl place is fccpt to ov eeeeptoMc level itt-lf; ''- - *s-oSi vitb that t&J roccttccnded by tie aioe*l health eas**= * v FrdSMl Seocftcct Council of ivottrlii* -t 2? * . -.'n *<i2*r dust level detetwinatiooo ore <errieJ out udder eld eopervisieo of * staff officer vho is responsible for u*`vlfilxn', o tAer&I Industrial hyficce. ;roo e>* A uLilit situation prveile &c Ceuecrd and program fvrcltcr ie^revcuuute to duet control jicosureo Is uoocttwyv^ Ok V I* tbcee too* for laproveee&t la C4.B*t etecAerds P u v occupational Uyfctetvo to it racy factories? . -toer 3 i **: t " fee, eltbouyh the company hee always bees ceotoraed to eperece Its factories within the* accepted etaerfetde of ' '*** . the day, there Is eeope for the appoiat&cgt of ac ZndthiferiStf7^-9 fijttieofr Office? zo ;1vt atfriec sad xeccreteudsclose * -***.*' ? * : -* * oofiCvrzUos our work piece ceedltiees la tbe vide r*B**-of-\ ' oferctlone C.5.K. to iavolwed to today. * . lm being correocly paireeM, - Tfcl matter