Document Qk0z0jKN3egydeGda91MQpyaL

FILE NAME: Asbestos Sacks and Bags (ASB) DATE: 1965 Oct 27 DOC#: ASB091 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Letter from Ministry of Labour Downplaying Risk of Asbestosis Attributed to Dock Work [Different List of Parties Receiving Letter] 1 i | . . .0 .0 . X . rs K -fc - h a ' 'sw ato r 3456 Ext. 384 r R e f: SHW 3787/1963 Dear* Mr. O 'L e a ry , ( m m ) f M inistry of Labour tJam ^!fcr^.uatfi3ixiinilax3Sd3^ Baynards House, 1 -1 3 Chepstow P la c e , s Weatboume d ro v e , LONDON, W.2 , L, / a A. -a ! < .9 OC't r:f i- 27th October, 1965* I n s p e c to r a te have now .com pleted t h e i r in v e s t ig a t io n s in t o th e nandlxng o f asb esto s in the docks, which were put in hand fo llo w in g com plaints in s u ly flborn, d u sty c o n d itio n s in one p a r t ic u la r v e s s e l in the London docks. The N atio n a l Amalgamated S te ve d o res and Dockers Union then o b ta in e d n o d ic a l a d v ic e from J i. outer o f _the I n s t i t u t e o f C l i n i c a l R esearch , M iddlesex H o s p ita l, t o the e f f e c t ih a ,, oen Tfonang in th e h o ld and in the b a rg e s needed to wear a mask in o rd e r to ,,o.oel- tnem from the a s b e s to s d u st. P r o v is io n o f vacuum a u ctio n to remove any s p iiia g o d u rin g un loading was a ls o rpcoramended. The I n s p e c to r a te do n ot d isa g re e r0 ? 0;:iinendnto' cn c" Sl,ch P re ca u tio n s are p ro b a b ly n e c e s s a r y in the con i . i v n s u'nzcn were found on th e ship in q u e s tio n , a s a s b e s to s was b e in g unloaded lJ` un sealed h e s s ia n s a c k s . V/lien o th er forms o f p ackaging are. u se d , the . in s p e c t o r a t e 's viow , based on the in v e s t ig a t io n s d e sc rib e d b elow , i s th a t masks are unnecessary. Ihe dockers them selves can do much to m aintain s a t i s f a c t o r y c o n d itio n s t>y cart-uni u n load in g o f the ca rg o . , f an?_r f ^ l o p in g a s b e a to s is has been a p p re c ia te d f o r many y e a r s . The ^ b o H u o ste x til0 in dustry has been sub ject to co n tro llin g Regulations since 1931. -sbestosis a lso a fie c ts other workers using asbestos or m aterials containing is b o s to s , and measures to c o n tr o l more a d e q u a tely the use o f such m a te r ia ls are 1 -v ren - y Doing co n sid e red by the F a c to r y I n s p e c to r a te , The In s p e c to r a te knows Ofo " . i a5f f a s b e s to s i3 a t t r ib u t a b le to employment in the docks un loading o e .t o m . S im ila r ly , no cases in such workers have been diagnosed by the -neuroconiosia M edical P an els. ^ y Most dockers are on ly in te r m itte n tly or o c ca sio n a lly exposed to a sb estos but ;o em rn c w hether c o n d itio n s during unloading were such as to make t h ^ d e v e l o p L 't asbr ,.tosis lik e ly or p o ssib le, given s u ffic ie n t length o f exposure, a series of u -r^ cifin S ecS rs ,,at f f asb esto 3 aaa now be`en undertaken by th e t In sp ecto ra te. I t should be understood th at the s i g n if i- f , * ULn " a s b e s to s ou st which i s o f a s iz e cap ab le o f p e n e tr a tin g to the ^ id e d e y e ! 'UCtUrQ3 f ^ 1U" S Qay n0t correspond t o th e a ^ u n t v i s i b l e to the esnirnhi u t ome oP bhe se t e s t s i s to in d ic a te th a t th e amount o f a ir -b o r n e du st o f acks w ith L * ' haS ^e6n ? l0W th e p u b lish e d upper l i m i t o f s a f e t y where h e s s ia n TM ZM Sags or other k p o rv io u s C have ~i ,, elo^rate a Soiki hefi tne ^ ,hw* ""Un.* ia ssoko ,Je used Hinea f k g has been xn operation. The lim it has been exceeded where : sSc?ora?e"n ^ "ere used and the rate of working was normal. The ^Periencod n 13 tn a t Td-th the normak in t e r m it te n t exposure l i k e l y t o be sbSSSSS thS^ S- f a d0Cker d9VelopinS c l i n i S l l y r e c i S i L S e evelop asbesto-?'?tf>1Pn0-wded :unperv:LOUS s?* v * used* As they are unlikely to sat of the population! &J *** n liable to develop 6 lung cancer than the , O'T. /Discussions I y, `7 l K ,,-0 proposed ' *" > * '.!;# * " * wiW- ^ i * a t o poss^m-U^/ ' . . t. , w t " -- a to .-.r vir. f A a. " %T`,rr'. i**\ uaSQ' . a . . , , 'i.n,,toorrtteearai . wl6 asbestos m P iftVn *cen representing l aaatcd Stevedores , ,P tVie uatioaol A-L& .! f l Jo Be51 o f , ` tter with. Dr- K ^ tor' ^ ' .- w r t ra is e d the matte ^ ^ 0cean M V * * * . Doctors Union* . . . - ' p joint Committee, & :. ; - ; ; Hr.:D . L . B en n ett, e cr to u rs s o r e ly , . ; .. -^ I