Document em58KEBEmqYkKRzwdnDn7Zy0q

FILE NAME Colonial Sugar Refinery CSR DATE 1960 DOC CSR092 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION Wittenoom Chest Ray Survey & Related Correspondence DISTRICT HOSPITAL ey JMCN MKV Date .. Dr. W. S. Davidson Commissioner of Public Health Department of Public Health 57 Murray Street KALGJORLIE ne cccecsseneenen 1st November Dear Dr. Davidson is forwarded for and Dr. Letham your Enclosed is information a brief I have report on Wittenoom which sent copies to Dr. King . My Kind regards i . . a \- t CHEST PHYSICIAN N. PLAINTIFF'S Bayone 1034E00XH1I0B3I4T00 PENGAD WITTENGOM CHEST RAY SURVEY 1960 ~ ~ The following are the results of the chest ray examination of workers employed for more than one year at Australian Blue Asbestos Wittenocm examined by the Mines Mobile Ray Unit during September 1960. A few workers have been excluded but their exclusion does not affect the over picture Also excluded are men diagnosed as suffering from industrial chest disease in previous years who have left the industry The diagnostic symbols represent N. No evidence of industrial chest disease or other pulmonary pathology F Increased lung markings of a non specific type possibly due to the very earliest stage of silicosis or asbes-provisonal tosis but too inconclusive to justify even a provisional diagnosis s1 Fairly conclusive evidence of asbestosis and the men concerned have been advised to leave the indus- try Definitive diagnosis awaits further investigation to exclude other pulmonary disease and to assess disability if any $ Silicosis and asbestosis RAY CLASSIFICATION No. of years at Aust Blue N. F Asbestos ; ... 2 3 4 5 6 - 7 . 8 9 10 4 71 - 43 4 24 5 6 4 2 4 4 2 1 4 4 2 - - 4 4 4 4 17. 43 - - 4 61 & ( - 4 3 - 3 4 _ 2 3 INI INI INI % of workers affected per of exposure S1 S1 year | % % % 23 % 33 44 40 100 330 % 100 : Cont There is no need to comment on the figures save to say that only the huge labour turnover over 70 of workers have worked at Wittenoom for 3 years or less prevented large numbers of men from being affected The concurrent dust counts prepared by the Senior Inspector of Mines showed how dusty the mill and mine really are and the results of the chest ray examinations show the effect It would appear that silicosis is a more serious problem than asbestosis and that frequently the disease is of a mixed type This explains why the classical radiological appearance of asbestosis is rarely seen It is also worth noting that mere presence at the mine or mill over a relatively short period is sufficient to produce disease and that unlike the Gold Mines the actual occupation of the worker is not too important An attempt was made to ray the men employed in transporting the asbestos bags to the coast but only a few were actually done It is desirable that these workers and those engaged in loading asbestos at the docks should be examined regularly and their conditions of work investigated urgent Effective dust supression at Australian Blue Asbestos and immediate necessity is an J.McNulty CHEST PHYSICIAN M.D. File No. 258/60 UNDER SECRETARY FOR MINES This report comes as something of a shock Tie have known that conditions in the mill were very dusty No cases of asbestosis recently and quite a few men had without apparent effect had been reported until served considerable terms I had formed the particularly serious and I shared by the management opinion that the risk was not think that this opinion was The mill has been very much improved and are now paying attention to the underground conditions Several visits have been made by our ventilation men Dr. McNulty has been in direct touch with the operate . management and they have advised me that they will to reduce the dust The value of special detailed study of the results of the medical examinations is evident We will press for the further improvement of conditions both in the mine and the mill I think we should also make a careful stu ofdty he industrial history of all employees at the next medical : examination FEB 17th November 1960 MINING STATE ENGINEER Bayone PENGAD PENGAD AHT JF o 258/60 21st November 600 Chest Physician Kalgoorlie District Hospital KALGOORLIE Dear Dr. McNulty Thanks for the report on the recent ray examinations at Wittenoom I have discussed it with the State Mining Engineer and as a result of same we will press for the further improvement of conditions both in the mine and the mill We also propose to make a careful study of the industrial history of all employees at the next medical examination I agree with you that effective dust supression at Wittenoom is an urgent and immediate necessity Yours faithfully aes PLAINTIFF'S EXHIBIT 104140 104140 THE STATE MINING ENGINEER It would appear to ne desirable that an early conference between yourself and your Inspectors and the Company Management should take place in regard to this matter Could this be arranged please ease scant celts UNDER SECRETARY FOR MINES Pad 21 November November 21 November 1960 1960 1/12/00 R.O. P 1/12/00168 seme ono ome, oa POSTAL ADDRESS SOX 31. GEORGE STREET Neh P.O. SYDNEY TELEPHONE BU 4249 and 3 056 EXTENSIONS 77 1908 Our Rel No. Your Rel No. Please address all communications to the Director AB H. NEW SOUTH WALES DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH ABA ABA Division of Occusation With NN ISION NISION I NISION DS E INDUST INDUST IO iN apaiias 86-88 GEORGE STREET Nth SYDNEY 2nd December 1960 Bal cee to aes! Dr. D. D. Letham Physician Department of Public Health Box 134 G.P.O. PERTH Fest Australia SUBJECT Asbestos Dust Counts In reference to your letter of the 28th November reference DDL 1/2 - I wish to advise you that I have discussed this matter with several of my scientific staff In our experience it is rarely that one meets situations where a mixture of silica and asbestos dust exists where there is difficulty difficulty from the point of view of dust counts it is easy to determine which major hazard e.g. in the manufacture of asbestos sheets very small quanties of sand significant hazard is the asbestos be tackled on general common sense are used one I lines it and it is clear that the feel that the matter can is not practical to have only only dust standards for mixtures of dusta . Yours faithfully 2 ^' frit 4 - Director Division of Occupational Health PLAINTIFF'S EXHIBIT aot rn : . :. Led ve . ew me ss | PLAINTIFF'S EXHIBIT Port Hedland 9th October 196 The Senior Inspector of Minos . KALGOORLIE Toke ) . Your query regarding the company policy at Tittencom over the octter of providing a bank of nylon bag dust filtere is not answerable as yet During my last visit to the nine I was told that office tere still deliberating on the matter However I will be at Wittenoon tomorrow with Inspector Hunt and will nake further enquiries leozers Brondhurst and Thomas were over at Tittennom during the week following my last inspection and it is possible that some decision may have bocn roached naturally ve will have to ask what has been decided for despite our intense interest in this matter it in most unlikely that the management would have the courtesy to advise us voluntarily I did observe that the general mill atmosphere appeared to be dustier than usual Without means of checking this asp^ct I could only attribute the apparent dustiness to the fact that once again the mill output has been taken above the figure of 14,000 ton short of ore per two weekly period This was the figure I set late last year and at the time it was agreed that the mill dust collection unit did not appear to be engable of reasonable operatic once the throughput execeded this total With typical A.B.A. custom the output has boen increased and is to be increased further but no referance was made to ne despite the fact that they have never buen given the O.K. to take the production over my earlier restricted figure Poscibly the management have discussed the restriction with the State Kining Engineer but I feel sure that I would have been informed had this bem so I will advise you further within a few days DISFRICA ITSPECTOR OF HINTS PORT . LELLAID .