Document a4v3pjr46D4a0O61v92MQNRaX

FILE NAME: Asbestos Sacks and Bags (ASB) DATE: 1966 Oct 30 DOC#: ASB002 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Newspaper Article - Dockers Fear Health Peril from Asbestos Dockers far health & O C- i ^ \ ut t {_> By D r A lfred B yrne ! , ; ; : l ru. ; Medical Correspondent D O C T O R S and d o c k e,r' ;'m p[joy^ A uthority are in sharp disagree ment over the health hazard in volved in ' the unloading '.'of asbestos cargoes at.LondomDocks-. The dockers believe 'fhat pre sent wqrksng, conditions are un safe-- a view upheld by reports In- therSunday?Tiraes;'that a.t'nciw" and deadly tum our of tile pleura can ;; resu lt many .-years after apparently . brief exposure to asbestos .dust., - . . ... . -j-.j;.': D r A. M. LawTence-Smith. P rin clpal: Medical. Officer, of the PfD A, has however, madon i;a-contpoversjai attem pt to .assuage, th eir fears. In a signed statem ent circulated among the men he says that the M inistry;; of Labour arranged; scientific investigations which jexeluded the lur.g disease of " asbestosis " -as . risk to. dock Iabo!un;;;:that.,tbe:: development-!', of ,the;tuirioi]ir associated,with, asb.estos-- known as mesothelioma-- re quires sim ilar circumstances.; to those'causlng lasbestosis;`a n d it^ at the tum our occurs only, where a particular ,variety . and grade of dust,--not- found in commercial carjto, is released Into the aijji He has, he, says, an,.assurance from H M.....M....e.d...i.c..a.l....I.nspectora te th a t the gangs, run no risk of document on . se\ mesotheliom a ; or asbestosis handling such cargos. , i 4 In' .!. points. Eyen eppen-eral exposure appears capable of causing meso- A! .spokesman of ; the - Mlplytry thelioma. People have got it of! Dabour, however, 'referred (mo many y ejrs |] after) playing on to;a[ letter cn the findings of th e asbestos t'ipsljirt childhood. As Inspectorate, which has b'f'e.n King Edward VII said pf tuber- sept; ta sev eral '.crested p arties. oulosis: ` If preventable why not It reports tha|t the'!<pncenfra.iii'n [prevent? 'I Crocidolite (blue of; air-borne dust was found; to asbestos) seen s-to be m ainly res exceed the upper limits, of safety ponsible and ' t may ,be feasible 'hen nlined hessian bags of to! dispense, with it entirely." asbestos' are, unloaded'at the nor ! 'Wlien asked to comment on his ' tmh aalt! r..ai-_nte s.o.u.f.c.vhw. o'rc..ka..is.n.egs, ;ar..ne..ds..poiarrgasrees- nrpjupioterdt, thDart Lhaewrdeirdicen-oStmiwthishlnttio- should be worn. ................... [debate the m atter on th e phone. !;' [The P L Ai -has, In fact been Through its areas officers, the supplying . the men with masks Transport! and [General, Workers ;an;d| overalls for use when , "[lio n has advised,; m em bers not loading asbestos and,paying tliem, handle cargojof asbestos w here -an extra 2s. ' an hbur' for their is imported in perm eable bags, trouble. ! | ;. - nee that policy ;has been en- ; -A!'- world . authority ; on meso reed at Southampton, safer bags thelioma, questioned .by-(phone.! in ve become ithp rule. One ship Tokyo, w here'he was attending a is turned away, unloaded from Cancer congress, considered; 'that ndon Docks because the' men more than ohe of the P L A 's pro fused to handle the asbestos nouncements on tfils subjectjclid oard, and I; understand ;th a t a not .accord with the published m of lighterm en will not handle facts. ' j , .!-. ' ip.'r"; bestos at all. .. D r R obert Murray, medical ;On th e W est Ipdla Doc!k, s, last a'dviser. to the Trades Hnion Con W ednesday, waiting, to unload gress, said: " This a; misleacjihg. the City, of Kxeter, out of D urban, frightened "! over the risk the dust, amjl-wouldmuch feel safe thin get extra n They comp Unfed-- and pre fairly-pthat when cargo charged the dust scatter^ may involve m en not concerned with the unloading. ! It may also settle on packages of foods goi'ng to grocers' shops. j -What they- unloaded was blue; asbestos in unlined hessian bags' labelled " G E F G O Cenbe^tos:" One bg h a i b u rs t and i contents were distributed :ovet the others.i Asjbestos >vas gkping through holes in many mtnior.e', 'made by the hooks which; some dockers insijst on using; Some of the men Wore no]' respiraa!tor; others did no inite r a i11-ttentiy. A. scientist who has | tested' the m asks personally says -it is h ardiy practicable to w or'k in th"em for d io re 'th a n ]ialf-an-ho|ur T h e solution is not merely m atter; of masks! | b u t sa fe r1 methods of packina and loading. T hat as-pec o f th e \ p r o b le m Is now ex.erch ing th e j ingenuity of doctors, scie ntists, ami industrial ists through o u t the world. 11  & O CJTO ,2. { lMJtUi ' Dockers _ fear health peril from asbestos ! By I)r Alfred Byrne i (Medical: Correspondent -I , : II .. . D 0 G;T 0;R 'S- > nd ' employed by the P o rt of lxin(j|bn' Authority are In sharp disagree-, m ent over the health; hazard .'in volved Un -the/; Unloading Uof- asbestos cargoes at Ixmdop Docks.; Th dockers believe.Jfhat pre^ sent i working conditions are -junwfe^--a view upheld by 1reports liy the SundayvTmes tht a " n ^ and ;deadl^:tum our of tie pieir^ Mn h result many . yere ' ;ater; apparently . brief exposure '.to; asbestos dust. . ; j;' ; :-'; >r, A. :M. Lawrence-Smlth, Prin-; cipa) Medical Officer of the P.U, has however madeja controversial attm p t tb assuage' their fears.;Tn a : signed statement circulated' ; among; th men he says th at the Mtisty- J. of ' Labour arranged 'tsci'enflc investigations which jx- eluded -the lu n g ! disease] .fof (yI `` asbestosis " as: risk- to dck fabour; th at the development;!', of. the tum our associated with asbesvtoa^-known- as =mesothelioma--r-re- quires sim ilar circumstances:;'to., those causing asbestosis; and'tjhat the tumour, occurs only, wherp a particular variety,and gradef. of dust," not found In commerpiaL rearmo, is released Into Urn ` . . Hp has, heisay s, an iassu rap ee Special m asks protect dockers unloading bags, of asbestos ro m U M Medical inspectorate ;thatj the gangs run no riskiyof : mesbthelioma ! or asbestosis In hnmillng such eargos. , ; ! spokesman of the Mipi-ftry People have got it ofj la b o u r, however, deferred (me many ye^rs (afterl playing on to 1a] letter on:the findings of the ;asbestos tips'iir] childhood. As Inspectorate, which- has bpen "King E dW ard|viI said1pf tuber- s e p t.to several interested p arties.''culosis: 'I f preventable iwhy not It reporta thajt the'dncentration p rev en t?'' rocidolite j (blue o f: air-borne dust was found] to asbestos) seen)s to be mainly res exceed the upper limits, of safety ponsible and 11 may be| feasible' Whe,n unlined hesiian bags] of to! dispense with it entirely." asbestos' are. unloaded at ,the nor* , 'When asked to.com m ent on his : m aijrat of working, and agrees report, Dr Lajwrence-Smith inti- 1th a t in 'such cass respirators; njjated that hq did not | wish to should be worn. | ' J ' :'i debate the m atter on th e phone. ' ;r The P L A 'has . in fact. b 3 eh ':: Through its areas officers, the supplying the .men with mpsks Itransport and General, Workers ; an;d| overall^ (for lise when . pn- ;"n io n has advised1m em bers not loading asbestos and. paying tlierix tb'.handle cargojof asbestos w here -an extra 2s. an hbur' for their i|!is imported in perm eable bags. trouble. ; , Sance that policy has been en A-'- world . authority on - meso- :forced at Southampton, safer bags theHoma, questioned byiphone in ' ^ve become thp rule. One ship : Tokyo, w here'he was attending Hs turned away, unloaded from : Cancer congress, considered that >ndon Docks because the men more than ohe of the P L A 's pro- ' fused to handle the (asbestos ' nouncements on this sbject^did oard, and I understand .th at a not accord with the published m of lightermen will not handle : facts. I :. -j ; : ' estos at all. I ,: | . Dr Robert Murray, : m edical On th e W est Ir^dla Docks, last a'dviser to the Trades Union- on--1Wednesday,, waiting t o ' unload gress, said: " This a misleading ; the City of Exeter,lout ofvDurban, dockers said they yvere "(really frightened " i over the risk! from; the dust, an<jl would much sooner feel safe th in get extra njioneyi They comp unfed--and probably fairly--that when a (cargo s dis-| charged thd dust scatters) and; may involve men not concerned with the unloading. ! It ma^ also settle on pa<kages of foods (going to grocers' shops. | ; W hat they unloaded was blue] asbestos in anlined hessian bags labelled " G E F G 0 1Cenbe^tosi";. One bag had b u rst and abs con-; tents were distributed over the; others.' Asbestos was gaping' through holes in many more, made by the hooks (which somel dockers insist on us4ig. Some ofI the men wore noi respirator; others did so irutenbittently. A scientist who has I tested the masks personally says it is hardly practicable to work in theih for ffiore-than half-an-hour m:aTthteer `sooluf!t1Iiomn asisks]no'| tbumt er' e6layfear methods of packing! and loading. .T hat aspee of the I problem is now ex.erct ing the j ingenuity of doctors, scie ntists, anjd indu^trial- ista through o u t the Ijvorld. I |