Document M42QyDBJLm9Z0mJmkJvM8Ejj

FILE NAME Colonial Sugar Refinery CSR DATE 1959 DOC CSR035 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION Excerpt from Report of the Commissioner of Public Health for the Year 1959 - Industrial Chest Disease & Wittenoom Mill Lap OO ' " 136 = REPORT OF THE Commissioner of Public Health for the year 1959 oon eee HO Oeee eee Presented to both Houses of Parliament POH,eat eeRE OE tS el SAO OO el IA \ } } Appendix VIII ADDENDUM INDUSTRIAL CHEST DISEASE EASTERN GOLDFIELDS miners This report is concerned mainly with the results of the periodical examination of miners and ex- addition miners Many more miners have voluntarily submitted themselves for clinical examination in to those who are under special supervision Visits were made to Wittenoom and Norseman to examineexamine workers clinically in association with the Mines Mobile ray Unit The result of the examinations during 1959 are as followe - Total number of Chest ray examinations .... Total number of cases of Silicosis wee bees .. 7,269 a 569 Total number of new cases of Silicosis GOO 71 Total number of cases of Active Pulmonary Tuberculosis 10 The figures below are the results of the periodical examinations since their inception in 1925 26 to 1958. It should be borne in mind that not all miners are rayed annually so that yearly totals are not an accurate reflection of the incidence of lung disease in any one year Table II RESULTS OF PERIODICAL MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS OF MINE WORKERS Year FROM INCEPTION OF EXAMINATION 1925 TO 31st DECEMBER 1958 Total number of Total number of silicosis cases New cases of silicosis previously normal or tuberculosis and Tuberculcais 1925-26 CO 1927 66ta sane 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 aa *** eves 0146 eee cose O. seve 1933 1934 1935 1936 tase wees wees wane vase see wee on 1937 wes tee 1938 1939 sane cue ana sees 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1946 1946 sone wees vas seve cose ase sone tase tase vas tone see vee sees 1947 tose see 1948 sone vee . 1949 tee tess 1950 bese a 1951 sone wees 1952 1963 1964 1955 tees ves wees anes tee wee ase tase 1956 1957 seve wee a bene 1958 sees wee 4,023 3,728 3,483 2,688 3,399 3,012 4,285 3,377 5,583 4,808 7,363 7,852 7,141 6,975 7,299 7,141 5,824 4,298 4,488 ' 3,334 8,606 6,450 5,134 5,489 6,203 5,721 5,959 5,312 6,179 5,508 8,478 4,811 0,288 174,093 642 474 480 420 450 399 428 439 406 364 372 352 296 292 288 294 350 367 375 266 300 308 298 314 349 305 294 356 487 497 474 483 582 12,837 642 41 62 102 138 04 35 58 65 35 30 16 13 18 12 32 81 63 70 54 90 101 24 24 14 13 9 80 158 70 30 34 54 2,331 142 138 48 48 164 83 24 18 vE6u2w56568566-5 vE6u2w5656856-5 vE6u2w56568566-5 vE6u2w565 685 6 6-5 vE6u2w565 685 6 6-5 vE6u2w565 685 6 6-5 vE6u2w5656856 -5 vE6u2w56 856 -5 vE6u2w5656856 -5 vE6u2w5656856 -5 vE6u2w565 685 6 6-5 vE6u2w5656856 -5 vE6u2w565 685 6 6-5 vE6u2w565 685 6 6-5 vE6u2w5656856 -5 vE6u2w5656856 -5 vE6u2w5656856-5 vE6u2w565 685 6 6-5 vE6u2w565 685 6 6-5 vE6u2w5656856 -5 vE6u2w565 685 6 6-5 vE6u2w5656856 -5 vE6u2w5656856-5 vE6u2w565 685 6 6-5 vE6u2w5656856 -5 047 These results are disappointing and it would appear that there has been little significant improvement in the incidence of industrial chest disease for many years despite the great advances in medicine engineering ventilation and working conditions The totals only refer to miners and miners examined under the Mine Workers Relief Act and some examined for admission certificates under the Mines Regu- lation Act They do not therefore contain all the cases of silicosis and tuberculosis attributable to the mining industry industry Although 10 new cases of active pulmonary tuberculosis are recorded as being ding- nosed in 1959 there were actually 24 cases if men who have left of the relevant Mining Acts are included Some cases may also the industry and were outside outside outside the scope have been diagnosed elsewhere elsewhere and not brought to our notice It is hoped that the intensive follow and investigation of miners with abnormal chest X rays will reduce the incidence of tuberculosis soon This is a pious wish which has probably been repested annually since 1926. It would appear that one worker out of every 60 who entered the industry contracted pulmonary tuberculosis and even today the annual incidence is 2 per 1,000 Fortunately with the modern treatments available even in the presence of advanced silicosis successful treatment of the tuberculosis is almost guaran- teed regard to available In silicosis the function of the periodical examination of workers as conducted here is mainly diagnostic prevention being regarded as an engineering problem One worker in every 30 who entered the industry developed silicosis with an annual incidence of 10 per thousand It is not possible to determine what percentage of silicotics recorded subsequently appear in the last column as having developed tuberculosis A frequent criticism made to account for the variation in the number of new cases of silicosia diagnosed annually and the continued high rate is that the diagnostic criteria vary There is truth in this criticism With minimal radiological silicosis a subjective error is present but this usually some only results in anticipating or delaying the diagnosis for a few years and the effect is cancelled out the diagnoses made at the time are Cheat dating back rays to 1936 and clinical record cards containing and reappraisal of the films does not suggest that the diagnostic standards have varied greatly Improved definition screens dual film reading and comparison with standard films from the ray technique high a Pneumoconiosis Research Council are probably enabling diagnosis to be made at slightly earlier stage than hitherto and this is most desirable If the diagnosis is in doubt complete investigative facilities being including lung function testa are available at the Perth Chest Hospital and ever increasing use is made of these facilities short- Statistical analysis of the results is most difficult if not impossible because miners and miners are examined under several different Acts and because of the large number of itinerant and casual term workers in the industry Australian Blue Asbestos at Wittenoom which has been in full production for a relatively short time presents different problem and has been the subject of a special report the health of miners would not be complete without introducing the question of the A report on susceptibility to respiratory infections particularly chronic bronchitis It is extremely Chronic bronchitis miners general difficult to apportion pulmonary disability between silicosis and chronic bronchitia almost invariably accompanies silicosis but occurs equally commonly without any evidence whatever of only It is a disease associated with heavy industry and air pollution of which silica dust forms silicosis a part Dust fumes artificial working conditions lack of sunlight changes in temperature and humidity which at times direct a stream of cold air alcohol all contribute The system of ventilation cigarettes from over exertion may also contribute At the entry medical examination all on a man perspiring with evidence of bronchitis are excluded and miners who develop applicants for initial medical certificates conducted suggestive symptoms are strongly advised to leave the industry Intensive research is being in England into this particular problem and further developments will depend on the outcome INDUSTRIAL CHEST DISEASE WITTENOOM new Periodical chest ray examination of workers in the Asbestos industry during 1959 disclosed no cases of Asbestosis although there are several men whose rays must be considered suspect Those whose rays are considered suspicious of Asbestosis will be examined again in 1960 The length of exposure of workers contracting Asbestosis or Silicosis is much shorter than comparably employed men in the mining industry and the extent of disease is greater The small numbers of workers and the extremely high labour turnover make this less obvious - radio- There are a number of puzzling and disquieting features In several instances Asbestosis has been diagnosed in underground workers although the disease had been considered peculiar to the Mill One member of the train crew underground not usually a great dust risk has what appears to be a mixture of silicosis asbestosis and possibly tuberculosis Another underground worker has what appears bodies logically to be pure silicosis but his sputum contains asbestos The Mines Department has permitted me to inspect the results of their periodical dust counts It is obvious that the new Mill is a great improvement on the old Mill and that conditions underground have also improved It is too early to tell whether the new Mill will be responsible for fresh cases of industrial chest diseases or not dit The disquieting feature about the dust counts are two fold 1 The rock mined is apparently dust counts are on a par with highly silicious and figures for the t= therefore particularly gold mines dangerous The higher standard should should be set in view of the high silica content and the additional Asbestosis risk the same instrument is used for detecting detecting silica par dangerous partiele dust concentration concentration fibre count length permitted is 1 million fibres per cubic foot of air Many workers remain at Wittenoom for less than one year and less than than four 50 per cent of the work A very rough estimate force at any one time have been continuously employed for more years of workers with over four years exposure and suffering from industrial chest disease is of the percentage of the number 12 cent estimated by expressing the number of workers detailed below as is percentage per of workers examined in 1959 whose initial iming certificate was issued prior to 1955 47 In recent years it would be unusual to diagnose Silicosis in a gold miner with less than 10 ,posure For example in 1958 there were no new cases of Silicosis in the 0-10 years ex- ~ 10-20 year group and 29 cases in the 20-30 year group 20 cases in the " mine workers this gives year group annual incidence of Expressed as a percentage of the total number of an Silicosis of approximately 1 per cent.percentage incidences These are notvery accurate and are not really comparable but they do illustrate the hazard which existed at Wittenoom compared with the general mining industry grave diagnosed Since 1958 there have been one underground and five mill workers at Wittenoom as suffering from Asbestosis All were advised to leave the industry but for various definitely 80. Five of the six were investigated in hospital reasons have not done The average exposure to asbestos dust in these cases was four years only Silicosis There are two other suspect cases and two suggesting they are affected with a combination of and Asbestosis Apart from these four others were diagnosed with Silicosis three having had a previous history of coal mining abroad These cases suggest that there is also an increased risk of Silicosis the mine The average exposure in these cases is 11 years excluding previous mining underground at In two of these cases there is probable superadded tuberculous infection Some newly diagnosed cases of Silicosis are not included because of previous lengthy mining history which could reasonably be held responsible There have also been a few cases of workers developing pulmonary or Asbestosis but their number does not suggest any particular hazard at associated with mining in general tuberculosis Wittenoom without Silicosis other than that Three workers with a mixed gold and asbestos mining history have developed silicosis and asbestosis Four workers with a similar mining history have developed pure silicosis Of these seven workers the mining mining average including all o ~ entirely exposure justifiable justifiable to dust was 12 years and excluding previous which is not entirely justifiable was 7 years Conclusion The percentages quoted above ie 12 per cent of asbestos workers suffering from industrial chest of disease with over 4 years exposure compared with 1 per cent gold miners with over 10 years exposure are crude and probably paint too black a picture of the conditions which existed With a shifting working population it is almost impossible to work out accurate incidences However the very high labour turn- over at Wittenoom is necessarily associated with a short average exposure per worker and many workers at riak were protected simply because their exposure time was too short At least one of these short workers has been diagnosed as suffering from Asbestosis many years after he left the industry The problem is essentially one of ventilation conducted with a proper appreciation of the relative importance and medical significance of the asbestos fibre as distinct from the silica particle Despite the many marked improvements which have been effected at the Mine and Mill I am not satisfied that the risk of industrial chest disease has been eradicated or even brought to par with the risk of Silicosis in the mining industry The prevention of industrial chest disease is a engineering problem and requires close liaison between the Mines Department who are responsible for ventilation and dust counts and the medical officers who are responsible for the periodical clinical and chest ray examinations J. MCNULTY M.B. Ch.B. B.A.O. Chest Physician