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FILE NAME Newspaper & Magazine Articles NMA DATE 1930 DOC NMA029 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION Newspaper Article - Workers who Breathe Death JOHN JOHN BULLBULL PAGE PAGE 22 PAGE 22 atenenemanarnsies 22 ST JUNE 28 1932 d Wheat . through if the Alarm ou down there CABINET MINISTER MINISTER stated the other day that there A are ten million workers in this country engaged in unhealthy and dangerous been | number threoeccmuiplaltiioonnssaraendconosftantthliys exposed to great danger |. To the very worst trades is now to be added another another asbestos worker newcomer because the last two years has any attempt made to show the link between the causes and number of deaths of some 2,000 coined asbestos workers and their occupation 1. During that period twelve deaths out of workers have been defi- nitely ascribed by the the investigators to a lung complaint for which they have the name asbestosis That figure takestakes on account only of those cases where inquests and post- mortens have taken place or other attempts at establishing the presence ' oe Will be worse - It does not include other deaths which the attacks of any ailment chitis and pneumonia like bron- What is being done to combat this terrible menace + On the employers side some of the more enlightened have carried out such safety measures as have been suggested Nevertheless according to H.M. In- spector of Factories there are numerous places where antiquated machinery _ and processes are used all of | which raise clouds of asbestos dust and Aakes Many of the factories , too are hope- lessly unsuited for the work being ill- -ventilated and badly lighted There is no excuse for this : In the present state of engineering engineering knowledge it is not impossible impossible to provide perfect dust and fume fume removing apparatus Now they know- It is true that such apparatus is - initially expensive but if it can be installed in other industries such as the explosives and certain of the chemical industries why not the asbestos factories . redded Wheat ou to pick up he morning d Wheat break- ys ready No ired Just add a moment you ightful mealm- eal- 1 sustaining - Wheat is pure it It contains ients necessary chitis and pneumonia Nor of course can it give any idea of the numbers who have have died slowly strangled by this fell disease before the authorities woke up to the fact that here was something which needed investigation , their The Home Office has just issued an official report describing the nature of this disease and suggesting some method which asbestos should adopt to protect companies work- people workers It ends on the bleak prophecy that . there will be a rise to a peak in the death and disablement statistics owing to the damage already done to the . If boards of directors involved steps should see be only cost taken to compel them to introduce adequate safety - measures now that this terrible . is and insidious menace in their trade - shown to exist Many firms have introduced cheap palliatives such as providing gasmasks for workers in the more dusty processes The security these provide is worse There has yet to be designed a mask which will stop particles fifty- fiftythousandth of an inch in size which d isustthe order of minuteness of asbestos - In one factory brought to our notice the removing apparatus was so inadequate that the asbestos > the body in ength and & energy you day's work and in Vitamin B. od Hotels unts Boarding . serve Shredded : request et had an opportunity of beat send us your name Dotcardfor a free trial edded Wheat Co. Ltd. gn Garden City Herts ~T ae As some measure of cold comfort it _ blowing through the doors and win- are adopted there safeguards suggested 4 dows covered the ground for yards the peak is passedshould be a fall after At the top is Sir Thomas Legge Govern- around A . adviser To what height this ment medical the great authority neighbouring allotment had to turn over peak is likely authority his ground to bury the or it is take place- on dust diseases Below him is Sir dust + torise when to year next year or yearsyears hence Herbert Samuel He introduced a Bill , At another there have been several -the report is silent hence to cover occupational deaths among ~ workers recently menaces diseases new disease whichwhich of the - i years ago through lung complaints lives - which hasthousands of workers and This fact brings us to what is per- how already killed killed who knows many is a disease caused by dust has got a hold gation it In an official investi- haps the most shameful aspect of the whole affair -the asbestos dust given off by the material whilst it is being handled or perlod 30 was foundfound that after this and up to ten years service cent There is Workmen's no provision under Compensation Act . the for worked Asbestos is a fibrous mineral sub- per of the workers examined had the disease those who die or are disabled by this Beyond this " deadly dust stance which can be spun '80 woven '80 per cent period the figure rose to . and Compel them or pressed and moulded ; ; It must be remembered also that the disease is progressive and the longer Fatal he is in the trade the less chance It is not listed as an occupational disease and any provision for the dust - the worker has of recovery workman or his family is left to tha Its chief virtue commercially is that Once it has got a hold hold or in other charity and good intentions of his It is unaffected by heat or acids and . words after about five five years service employer during the last forty years a relatively its effect can never be eradicated A Bill to remedy this state of affairs large industry has grown up round this Even if he leaves the trade alto- has been before the House for two must material gether it inevitably lessen the years it has been wrangled over in- It is an industry incidentally which worker's chances of recovery against cessantly and referred again and again is amongst the most lucrative in the to committees . country judging by the dividends by most of the 150 or so firms which constitute the trade paid least At - one of these firms has a A Peep into " There is the strongest analogy be- tween the conditions of the usbestos worker day and the worker of fifty years ago glazo capital running into into millions of pounds In every stage to which this material Is subjected the deadly dust is given sometimes a little as in some of the weaving processes sometimes a lot as in splitting the fibres and in bagging and mattress -making The only advantage which the less dusty processes have is that it takes longer finally to cripple and disable the worker " , The dust enters the lungs and lodges in the delicate air cells The accummuInted dust gradually hardens and thereafter the lung becomes useless THE FUTURE On Friday Friday July 18 a knock at your door for youl there comes A telegram happy With astonishment you learn that you are the winner of 3,000 and a motor for a Bullet In a flash you have become rich famous almost too to apeak ; Enact the prologue to this scene day from page 30 Enter a whilst there coupon is still time for a to win this few words wonderful priso We do not want to see a repetition of the wordy Parliamentary battles and the belated protection and justics latter given to those workers in this - ~ day . my In view of the facts given above and confirmed by the Home Office investi- gation surely the Government cannot delay longer in introducing legislation to compel factory to provide adequate safeguards Let it vide fair introduce and just an Act to pro- compensation for the dependents of those who have dist and those whose health has been RC Tie ee Diners years After five Lath td kee atte! add work the disease bev Vay work ARLE la disease disease 3 ok PaOatEts e Th etrndae iaios rn lal esr ibn T Gack MU broken through this dearly peril of f their work . 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