Document bBv0OGBXLkvMgzYdyBo8JYqp3

FILE NAME: KUB DATE: 2011 KUB043 DOC#: KUB043 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Book Excerpt - Asbestos Disaster Kenichi Miyamoto Kenji Morinaga Hiroyuki Mori Editors A sbestos D isaster Lessons from Japan's Experience ^ Springer ^Ol( K. Miyamoto tfion of Japan Occupational Safety ese). BANJAN, Tokyo nsation. RAND Corporation, Santa mechanism in the United State, panese). BANJAN, Tokyo, p 312 ain. http://www.ewg.org/asbestos/. ;se). Iwanami Shoten, Tokyo n (in Japanese). Iwanami Shoten, atsuki city, and Higashiosaka city 1 2006 (in Japanese) k of asbestos of Osaka Prefecture in :tice for all asbestos victims. In: , Tokyo, p 73 7) The epidemiological analysis of Chapter 3 Why Did the Asbestos Disaster Spread? Takehiko M urayam a and YujI N atori 3.1 Introduction After a historical review o f the asbestos issue in Japan, we have listed the follow ing four points as factors through which the asbestos disaster was spread in Japan: the social application o f medical knowledge, the activities o f governments and indus tries, the econom ic advantage o f asbestos products in the short term, and a knowl edge gap among stakeholders. 3.2 Insufficient Application of Current Medical Knowledge of the Toxicity of Asbestos to Public Policies 3.2.1 Prewar M edical knowledge about asbestosis in foreign countries was introduced to Japan in the early 1930s. After the first international conference on silicosis, held in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1930 by the League o f Nations (ELO 1930), a Japanese government official published a paper in 1931 which reported the conclu sion o f that conference that asbestos dust definitely induces pneum oconiosis (Ohnishi 1931). In 1932, the International Labour Organization (ILO) published a list o f studies on pneumoconiosis which included 70 papers on asbestosis (ELO 1932). A s one branch o f the ILO was located in Tokyo at that time, it was presumed that the government and related medical experts could easily get updated information T. Murayama ( 0 ) Faculty of Science and Engineering, Waseda University, 51-05-07A, 3-4-1 Okubo, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 169-8555, Japan e-mail: tmura@waseda.jp Y. Natori Asbestos Center, Z-Building 5F, 7-10-1 Kameido, Koto-ku, Tokyo 136-0071, Japan K. Miyamoto et al. (eds.), Asbestos Disaster: Lessonsfrom Japan's , 47 DOI 10.1007/978-4-431-53915-5.3, Springer 2011 48 T. Murayama and Y. Natori on asbestosis from this source. In the late 1930s, this led to the first survey o f asbestosis among workers in asbestos factories in the Sennan district o f Osaka Prefecture (Sukegawa et al. 1940). In addition, government officials would share the information about asbestosis through military activity with foreign countries because asbestos use for military pur poses was just beginning. For instance, in 1936, Germany, with which Japan had formed an alliance, brought out an order that added asbestosis to the list o f occupa tional diseases to be compensated (Selge 1942:131-135). Germany also included lung cancer with asbestosis for workers compensation in 1943 (Castleman 2005:45). W hile several facts suggest that the Japanese governm ent had considerable know ledge o f the toxic aspects o f asbestos, it did not instigate any public policies for reducing asbestos risk in wartime. It was not until the postwar period that sub stantial m easures against asbestos pollution were im plem ented. 3.2.2 Postwar After the war, a International Cancer Congress and an International Congress on Occupational Health were held every 3 years, which Japanese experts continuously attended. These conferences provided updated inform ation to Japanese academ i cians, governm ent officials in em bassies in foreign countries, and business workers. In addition, the annual reports o f a national institute for occupational health show that members frequently visited foreign countries in the 1950s, and would have shared the current knowledge about advanced research into asbestos pollution. A t the Ibeginning o f the 1950s, one o f the m edical experts, who was a member o f a national | institute, reported that asbestos was a carcinogenic material (Suzuki 1951). In particular, it would have been important that Japanese experts were involved in conferences such as the seventh Saranac Symposium in 1952, the International Conference on Pneum oconiosis in Johannesburg in 1959, and the first International Conference on the B iological Effects o f Asbestos in 1964, which was held by the New York Academy o f Science. Related documents published during the late 1950s and 1960s suggest that m edical experts recognized that asbestos was one o f the causes o f lung cancer. In fact, / a research report which was published in 1960 by the M inistry o f Labor described a I case o f lung cancer with asbestosis (M inistry o f Labor 1960:72-75). l It is believed that tw o international conferences held in Tokyo during the late 1960s accelerated know ledge about asbestos pollution among m edical experts and governm ent officials. At the ninth International Cancer C ongress in 1966, Am erican experts reported on m esotheliom a victim s w hose illness had been induced by envit- ronmental pollution around asbestos factories (Ninth International Cancer Congress : 1966). As the m ass m edia also paid attention to this conference, the inform ation I w ould have been known to the public. Just after the conference, members o f a j Japanese academ ic society on occupational health invited fam ous foreign partici/ pants to an inform al m eeting (Japanese Society for O ccupational H ealth 1967: 11, 3 6 -3 7 ). At this m eeting, Dr. W ilhelm Heuper, a team leader on environm ental 3 Why Did the Asbestos Disaster cancer at the National Cancer o f asbestos based on case stu< the president o f the society, a inform ation on the toxicity o f The 16th International Con special session on asbestos pc (Japan Industrial Safety A ssc South Africa, reported data on but also am ong local residen member o f the Institute for the m entioned in the concluding m esotheliom a. W hile informa docum ents and conferences in against the risks o f asbestos w 3.3 Commitments o f ( 3.3.1 Prewar Several facts indicate that Jj asbestos industry for m ilitary in 1896 after a request by t 1996:5-6). The demand for g main cause o f the foundatior using asbestos (Akebono Bral requested Chichibu Cement t 1974). The standardization c water com panies encouraged Japanese asbestos companies under Japanese rule at that tin would affect the health o f wo: 3.3.2 Postwar After the war, the import o f asl asbestos industry had to chan| A s many com panies were smj the developm ent o f these com affiliated com panies. Adminis products would prove to be a s it was not a legal matter. For T. Murayama and Y. Natori tis led to the first survey o f ie Sennan district of Osaka information about asbestosis asbestos use for military purmany, with which Japan had bestosis to the list of occupa). Germany also included lung 3 (Castleman 2005:45). ovemment had considerable instigate any public policies the postwar period that sublem ented. an International Congress on apanese experts continuously nation to Japanese academiuntries, and business workers, for occupational health show . the 1950s, and would have into asbestos pollution. At the io was a member o f a national terial (Suzuki 1951). inese experts were involved in 52, the International Conference st International Conference on eld by the New York Academy 1950s and 1960s suggest that :causes of lung cancer. In fact, Ministry o f Labor described a 1960:72-75). leld in Tokyo during the late n among medical experts and r Congress in 1966, American ;ss had been induced by envintemational Cancer Congress ; conference, the information ie conference, members o f a tvited famous foreign particiiccupational Health 1967:11, ;am leader on environmental 3 Why Did the Asbestos Disaster Spread? 49 cancer at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), introduced the carcinogenic aspects o f asbestos based on case studies of mesothelioma. As leading experts, including the president o f the society, attended the m eeting, it would suggest that updated information on the toxicity o f asbestos was shared among members of the society. The 16th International Conference on Occupational Health in 1969 arranged a \ special session on asbestos pollution, which was not included in the original plan (Japan Industrial Safety Association 1971). Dr. Ian Webster, a participant from South Africa, reported data on mesothelioma victim s not only among mine workers, but also among local residents around m ines and factories. Dr. Tatsuo Sano, a member o f the Institute for the Science of Labor, was the chair o f this session, and mentioned in the concluding remarks that Japan should encourage research into mesothelioma. W hile information on asbestos toxicity was shared through related documents and conferences in both prewar and postwar periods, specific measures against the risks o f asbestos were only begun in the 1970s. 3.3 Commitments of Governments and Industries 3.3.1 Prewar Several facts indicate that Japanese governments initiated and encouraged the asbestos industry for military use. Nippon Asbestos was founded for the first time in 1896 after a request by the Japan Naval Authority (NICHIAS Corporation 1996:5-6). The demand for ground transport by the Japan Army Authority was a main cause o f the foundation of Akebono Brake, which produced brake linings using asbestos (Akebono Brake Corporation 1969). The Ministry o f Planning also requested Chichibu Cement to produce asbestos cement pipes (Chichibu Cement 1974). The standardization o f asbestos products for railways, the military, and water companies encouraged the development o f the asbestos industry. In wartime, Japanese asbestos companies expanded their factories to East Asia, which was under Japanese rule at that time. The factories located in China, Korea, and Taiwan would affect the health o f workers and local residents. 3.3.2 Postwar After the war, the import o f asbestos was controlled by the Japanese government. The asbestos industry had to change their products from military to civil use at that time. As many companies were small or medium enterprises, the government encouraged the development o f these companies and protected them from the pressure of foreign affiliated companies. Administrative guidance through the standardization o f asbestos products would prove to be a substantial influence in spreading asbestos use, although it was not a legal matter. For instance, the standardization of asbestos cement pipes 50 T. Murayama and Y. Natori played an important role in their rapid diffusion, because local governments were the main custom ers and were recommended to use these products. A t that tim e, it was the M inistry o f Labor and the N ational Institute o f 5 O ccupational H ealth that obtained inform ation about asbestos toxicity. An official who was the ch ief o f the occupational health section in the early 1950s published a survey report on asbestosis for the first tim e in 1930s (Ishidate et al. 1938), and visited the Saranac Laboratory in New York State, U SA , in 1951, which was a I fam ous facility for pneum oconiosis research (Ishidate 1951). Another official reported the outline o f an international conference on pneum oconiosis w hich cov ered asbestosis and the relation between asbestos and lung cancer (Oikawa 1950). Although it is not hard to im agine that they had substantial knowledge about asbes tos toxicity through academ ic docum ents and their experiences in foreign countries, practical adm inistrative measures against asbestos pollution were not developed. A m onthly journal supervised by the occupational health section o f the M inistry o f Labor began publication in the 1960s. An article in this journal covered a report from the com m ittee on the chem ical industry7and labor o f the ILO w hich stated that asbestosis caused lung cancer (M inistry o f Labor 1963). Another article reported a round-table talk on occupational health in which the ch ief o f the occupational health section m entioned that several cases o f lung cancer with asbestos exposure had been found in the Osaka area (Japan Industrial Safety and H ealth A ssociation 1970). A ll this suggests that government officials had knowledge o f the carcino genic aspects o f asbestos in the 1960s at the latest, and were aware o f dom estic cases o f lung cancer in the late 1960s. In addition to the above-m entioned activities o f the national government, Japanese asbestos industries also developed a close relationship w ith foreign com panies. Several articles in a journal o f the Japan Asbestos Association noted that many Japanese work ers visited foreign com panies, and executives o f foreign com panies also visited Japan. In addition, som e com panies made agreem ents for technical cooperation. It must be supposed that Japanese companies obtained information about asbestos toxicity as w ell as knowledge on technical aspects (Watanabe 1967:13-14, and Watanabe 1971:3). In particular, presidents and other executives in foreign companies visited Japan every year in the late 1960s and early 1970s. This was probably because foreign companies were looking for new markets in response to gradually enforced regulations in Western countries. W hile the senior members o f companies might realize the toxic ity o f asbestos, other workers were not informed o f the situation. 3.4 Cost of Asbestos Products Another reason why asbestos products spread in Japan was their low cost. We exam ined this point for three cases: high pressure pipes for water supplies, ceilin g products, and roofing sheet for buildings. U ntil the 1940s, iron pipes were m ainly used for water supplies, and then asbes tos cem ent pipes gradually spread during the 1950s and 1970s. Figure 3.1 shows 3 Why Did the Asbestos Disast 7.000 r 6.000 - I& 5.000 - 05 4.000 - C CD 3.000 - Q. 2.000 O 1,000 - 0 -- 100 150 Fig. 3.1 Costs of pipes for wat solid line: 1965). Source: Econo the costs o f iron pipes and m id-1950s, narrow asbestoi and the price o f wide pipes in the m id-1960s, when asb the price o f narrow asbest Another point was that asb also encouraged the spread Figure 3.2 shows the cc would be difficult to compa the cost for sprayed asbest and easy installation also ei the costs o f roofing sheets also relatively cheaper. The sive than other products in Japanese society despite th 3.5 Inform ation M i Gap Among Sts Finally, w e show that gove the inform ation on asbest spread asbestos products. ^ officials realized the carcir workers in asbestos factor spite o f the many ways in a