Document 93Yj08LBpn1oBYbea5Zx1QEee

Zed'*'-# -X' 7CvT E103AMttJM TO :.a, M.G. KlfC .`s. o -...---------- -- hw * iU N -0. tw **r ^ iafaltJ A-B.A. WITTEMOOM Industrial dIsmso iAsg^tosis l.Slllcosis) Increasing prominence is being given in Western Australia to the incidence of Atbestosis. At the seat tiae, grouping of Silicosis cases on s regional basis has allegedv indicated, *< a large nuaber of easts duo to cork at Nittdhobo. - * In 1963 to date, 21 cases of Atbestosis and Sillco- ifgfr Atbestosis have been attributed to Wittenooa. These 2J cases '-J&t ere graded by the Health Departaerrt in the following way - . .,^3';. '& - 1 Asbestosls -4 early Asbostosls - 14 early Sllico-Asbestosis - .2 Silleo Asbestosls . i' Total 21 The State Government Insurance Office has estiaated . he current liability for industrial disease cases t Wittenooa - `-:J o be 18,000. . This liability is arrived at considering the seriousness I of the 21 eases and also considering the aexlaua liability I under the Western Australian Workers Compensation Act of 2,400 ' In any one case, or 3,000 if death -results. > In the event of death, payments already aada are deductible f*oa the 3,000. At present, wo ere paying tha State Govsmaent insurance Office e prealua of soaething in excess of 5.000 per year for^ Industrial disease insurance cover. in conversation with the General Uanager of the State Govsmaent Insurance Office, I was informed that the .claias. experience under..this policy was very bad. I was given to understand that h'e would atteapt to have the prealua rate increased beyond the present 20/- per 100 wages which has been in operation for aany years. In further considering our potential liability, we should beer in wind that In H.S.3. there is no llait to tho aaount a aan aay receive by wey of weekly coapeneetlon for silicosis snd on his death, death clala of 4,300 is i -i 4 v"~ C 4234 v payable in Addition to oil other payments made to him. The premium rate for industrial disease (Silicosis) cover for a similar'mining operation in N.S.Tf. is 80/- per 100 mages. ----- Distribution,of Industrie Dlsess* Osei. It seems that 18 of the total 21 cases ean be attributed to employment in the nine and 3 cases to employment in the mill. ' Prevention, of Industrial Disease. . The only sure may to prevent asbestosis and silicosis is to reduce the concentration of contaminants in the air to a retsonable figure. This is done by improving ventilation* Regular sampling of air at chosen points is Vy. necessary to provide a proper check on t he dust ccncen- , tratlon*- . -VySS It is not practical to think in tens of supplying respirators to employees. The hot working conditions make respirators unpopular even in the mill. fitntril Cy="fptg on <nd .SlUc?fU -------- The .following details were given by Or. Latham ~ `(Western Australian Director of Public Health) when he recently discussed industrial disease with Hr. Broadhurst and met - 1. A reasonable reading 6t concentration of asbestos in air would bo 140 fibres per c.c. * Above this there is danger of contracting ? " Asbestosis. --r - 2. Time taken for a man to be affected by either of the two diseases depends upon the following factors - concentration of contaminants in the air - rate at which a man works (the volume of air he inhales depends on this) . -3- k-age The critical particle size of asbostos is 20 * 30' microns. With silica, the critical size is lest than 2 microns. Asbestosi* can cause lung cancer. It is rare for a man to develop asbeetosis or silicosis after exposure ceases. If this were to happen, it would be within one or two years after he had been removed from exposure. Zn its early stages before breathlessness results( development of asbeetosis or silicosis csn be arrested if the man is removed from exposure. At the stage of breathlessnesa, the condition cannot be improved. 7. Asbeetosis develops earlier then Silicosis because the fibres are deposited in the luno passages snd . not .in thelung sses ss with silicosis. 8 Air smoking' 1*. best done with a midget impinger eueb ss-we-nave-et Vittenoem. Placet to sampia air should be determined after a careful survey of the mine snd mill. SYWEY 18th_Seoenbr,_1963. 3 b*it A*? v'VU^-W1'. * X'-Cf-i', 11