Document 932OwqbqxBxX6na3pZ1Vd5db7

/r7 3he~(Tb3er-^Secretary f Mimes, Central Government Buildings, ygraa, WBSTffiR ACSSAlSA. B 4-7- 19SC Deer Hr. Telfer, ,, tfith reference to dy letter of 2l*t May, 29SO, I regret to here to inform you tharaeeterate Ora* ea tt incidence, the aeVerlty of disability and the effect of ashestost# on the asbestos art nine industry ere act yet available. : _A matter of.fact, one cf the points vhiah emerged from the recast (2979; Pnatraocoaiosds Conference in Jcfcaoaesburf'was that the subject of esbestosls should be farther. inreattgatei'lD south Africa. 2a this connection 2 might meatlots that the Mroeeedlngs of the Conference are to be xrtfbllshed shortly *hith vUi incIaSs the following papera os Aabestosla*- (!) "Sens Pathological Aspects of isbesteels * in the Balon of South Africa," by J.C. Vagm*** , <2> "Clinical Aspects of Asbestos!* la tbs Jtarthere Cape" by C.A. Sleggaj and (3) "The Radiological Aspects of Asbeetesls" by M. Burvit*. The following is very kclef summary regarding sbestosis 1b South (a) By 1939 l long periods unSergreurrf la the eaoaite and croeidoUte sines was capable (under *939 conditions) of causing serious lung impairment either from esbestosle or free a combination of that disease with , eilleoeU \ alto, that **!** e&vkblnnt . froo esbestosls as a result of employment la surface aaoslte and eroddolite treatment plants did occur as) that the general precautionary measures were inadequate. WV-004134 ***> Cb> By ISM extensive du*t ad medical. surveys had been carried out concert^ tha asbestos mining lodogtry. }&iehf dust was produced, especially in / Oeatment plants where* duet control/ was a pr^lem. The'medical surveys confirmed that asbestos!a vaa beimg contracted. / . Xs a restilt of these surveys, dust, coated measures vers Introduced.* TfaiargrOUEfl, this consisted essentially la.the enforcement of vet mining *b! the u< of approved U.e. vet, vested) rbcJtdrills as is. the practice la the gold nines, as veil as insistence os adequate supplies of ventilation, ' the experience vas that asbestos dust, mad especially the fibres, leala iteelf to suppression by water. The main dust problea, however, occurs la tbs surface treatment plants because the recovery of the fibre precludes the use of water. Crashing and screening are the main dust preducing operations, whilst the dust produced during bagging operations, is tha most difficult to control. The Sites and Vorka Regulation eallit* for appliances necessary for the effective prevention of dust arising from the operation* conducted at the fiberlslflg plants were enforced at all (except a few small) asbestos fiberlslng plants. * >- - <) By 1955 medical central was iateoduood of all workers in asbestos mine# aaS * fiberisiag plants* By 2957* the maber of Alaea, other ifcan lares a2d lo*e, so medically controlled cumbered 137.* of which *5 were asbestos mines* <d) By list Karch, 2957, the compensation fond of the'137 afinea mentioned in. *, stood at about 1,700,000. <e) the average coalitions found in asoslte and erocidolite fiber!sing plants during the aysteastic dust surveys done during 1*7 to 1958, c*ye*e,aboi*t..23fi.fibres (of about 800 tc J>.-seScron4in'Seftgth)CW*.a* plus about d50jpai.tlcui'%ar^5t2cga'&Tj centimetre (as btalhed by'-'konlrifet*.)\vi For chrysotile fiberlslng plant*the corresponding figures came to about 20 fibres plus *50 particles per coble centimetre. Tha conditions recorded underground differed from that In the fiberlslng plants mainly in respect of fibre concentration which vas taueh less underground en surface.. The/3* 3 The fr silica e'eoteet of the feeaJed irbnfiena is which the 'crocMolita arri amoslte occur iA about 30. whilst that of th serpentine In which the ohrysotlle occur* is negligible. (f) The impression *t the Fnetsaoeo&iosit Bureea As that whereas the average emplyttfit of cages itta with paeuacoowost* (as defined ia the Act) in the first stage is about 23 year for employee* at large gold nines an) about 2? years for eapleyeos at coal nines, It is only about 10 years for employses in asbestos sines an) plants* (g) Another * point which emerged from the P&sa&aeoalcsl* Conference is the occurrence of mesothelioma, in persons'from the asbestos fields. The accompanying booklet entitled "Past In Asbestos fails" might be of interest. t hope* the above infornatico-will be of seme assistance to yon. Tours faithfully, ACT3W OCVEBSHBOT XIHIKG SBOISSER. EWC1C5. 1