Document pB6J7QM43jqG5BojJDakgGdqw

\ JlloasEI. DISTRICT HOSPITAL _ _ _ _ 4gAI/KgLTg Date.. 13th January. I960. Zrw' MEMORANDUM: Dr. A. King, The Director, Tuberculosis Control Branch, 17 Hurray Street, PBBTg- Periodlcal chest x-ray examination at workers at the Australian Blue Asbestos in 1959 disclosed no new cases of Asbestosis, although there are sereral men whose x-rays must be considered suspect* Those whose x-rays are' considered suspicions of Asbestosis will be examined again* in I960, The length of exposure of sorters contractings Asbestosls or Silieoals la much shorter than comparably esployed men in the gold-mining industry and the extent of disease is greeter. The snail mxaber of sorters and the extremely high labour turnover mate this less obrlons* There are a ntnber of puzzling and disquieting features, la several Instances Aabeatoeia has been diagnosed In underground workers although the disease had been considered peculiar to the Mill, One member of the train eras underground, not usually at great dust risk, has what appears to be a mixture of Silicosis, Asbestosis and possibly Tuberculosis, An exunderground shift boss, now an underground supervisor, has an abnormal chest x-ray and asbestos bodies in bis sputum. The Wines Department has permittad me to Inspeetthe results of their periodical dust counts* It is obvious that the new Hill la a great Improvement on the old Hill and that conditions underground have also Improved* It is too early to tell whether the new Hill will be responsible for fresh eases of Industrial chest diseases or not* The disquieting features about the dust counts are two fold:- 1) The rock mined is apparently highly sllicious and therefore particularly dangeroue The dust counts are on a par with the figures for the gold mines. Should they not have a much higher standard to aim at in view of the dangerously high silica content and the additional asbestos risk? C 2049 5 Memorandum: Dr. King, -2 - 13th January, I960. 2) The dust counts are of particles only, the same Instrument ia used for detecting silica particles and asbestos fibres. The dangerous particle size in Silicosis is less than 5 microns, in Asbestosis the dangerous fibre length is between 20 and kO microns* The dust counts are therefore of little value they show the amber ot fibres per cc within that range* I do not Imow whether there is an accepted national minimum fibre count for asbestos dust* either In England or America but it seems wrong that two completely different dust hazards should be estimated In the same way. Many workers remain at Wittenoom for lass than one year and less than 503 of the work fores, at any one time, hate been continuously employed for more than four years* A very rough estimate of the percentage of workers, with over 4 years exposure and suffering from industrial chest disease. is 12% (estimated by expressing tbs nmber of workers, detailed below, as a percentage of the nmber of workers examined In 1999 whose Initial mining certificate was leaned prior to 1955* In recent years it would be nnusual to diagnose Silicosis in a gold miner with less than 10 years exposure* E.G. in 1958, there were no new oases of Silicosis in tbs 0-10 year group, 20 oases In the 10-20 year group and 29 eases In the 20*50 year group* Expressed as a percentage of the total nunber of min* workers this gives an annual incidence of Silicosis of approximately 13. These percentage incidences are not very accurate and are not really comparable, but they do Illustrate the grave hazard which existed at Wittenoom compared with the general mining industry. The following are the particulars of cases of industrial disease detected at Wittenoom since 1956* The list is complete as far as our records go, but there may be a few easea diagnosed elsewhere who were not examined under either of the relevant Mining Acts and therefore not brought to our notice* Soo newly diagnosed cases of Silicosis are not included because of previous lengthy gold-mining history which could reasonably be held responsible* There have also been a few cases of workers developing pulmonary tuberculosis without Silicosis or Asbestosis, but their number does not suggest any particular hazard at Wittenoom, other than that associated with mining in general. 9h Cm5rr^oB>m MO O O cOi a o 3 a M9 O MO 30 0 r-o 33 t**cJ O M O c^ffl O o ^3 O* H* 3 cn M BM*3 OM > -3 3* ft- M3 9 S'-'-'O.MO MO O 9 w ^ O 4 ao 99 033 3 9 9* 99 9 M3 *3 ABO 9 3 9 MB *BftO n9 1<*9 93 M< m 9O 993 *4 -*3ui \J M 3 << v- MO 030 9a 3 3*0 B 3 ar m X o & >a 0 3 M & >1 B M3 M 3 MO MM 3OM 09 9400 MftM 9 9 000^99 B 9 3*4 9 MM9 9 ft B9 a* ST M B M M 9 9 B METM B *8 H 9 3 <9 3 M 0 3 0 MM B Cb< 9 9 O O 4 ftM 01 iocs 09B B M3 tf etQ. 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B *3 M * 30 3 0 o Pa \ o 3 vn ft-0*3 XT' 0BO3O3* 3*< i OO ft 3 MM is o vx ft 3 tt 9 3 3 ^0 cr> o Memorandum: Memorandom R a d ia l d r ille r England 20 yearn. 1 6 ye ye ar arn u M/ o .i l l A .D .A , A .B .A f 54 t-* -j3ro o **- *< m o m< 9 9 *1 13B 9 Qt 9 cO \o' oo *M >3 M Cd 3 * y-- ** eg i an \o PB M >3 X3 m ? CNQ !C*-9 M 3 99 D5 *i<3 9 * fQ M-* -4 3 -*3-4 mm *< 3 *4 3 ^ 9 9 9 M9 99939 *1 *4 ^ -3 -- -- 1| S 9 n > 9 CO O CO CO M OP >M MMgvj, ^M 3< 9 M9 *<939 9 *100 4 o a ** =3 on. Q M> m 13 > > W a \ m O M Qt > *4 a CO M MM MM OO oo Da MM B a > CD it* 9 9 +o Oa a^ fa a P > CO am arts ao MO oa am H>a a p S3 M<3 fO * 9 < 900 9X M a a3 i > aw > e * V* -* \JI < 9 << 99 *i O 3 'I r~l t--< P > 3 XM 3 >M es N. oo 9 4 a a > X M <g t* 3 * (fe a M aM O a X M n g 4 O m >+ am* . B llio o a la C 2052 dRMa siaisncdaiemiabrlatailldiintrrya)i.ldlwilnoi lgo th gl nr oal iostk e v id e aoo sf oSo as O O 9 M yt* 93 99 H* 3 00 m3 95 *-* M 00 3 9O aa Ma X mi 3 *3 59 M O M et a MO *S < < M o> 9 OM ca a M M CO MM 3 OM o OM 9 ao Mo - a - '?4 e+ rr o w e m vd X PM Ma e3 9Q O' M <s Mo M- <-r t-J < 5 a o woo m o a 4 a Pc 9 M* * a ag 3 M Xmo 930 33 *** >\O0 a vjm o* as a* a a M9 o Wa a 9 o' H09 a mb o 9 MO 3 00 99 MO* ma o 3* 9 Of a mm MO OVSO X 93 993 a< MO 0 MO 4 X e* aam oo 9 CO 0 X MM <*MO O M Co 31 i WCB W tJ 9 CP MM SC o 3M O MOP SOM 3O -*M9 VO 9 M VJlMM 09SS tt- 55 30 0 aa a O'M am ax MO o a eo M O'M OM Qt O MO aa am a M MX 39 <3 9 O> MO MX 01 0 9O M c* 9O Qt O M a 4SOiS o a C ? o *i coo on X9CQ 3 M 9 Ma 3 Qt M a >M <4 MB M M MX9 9949 a a a ** MO M 9 xo o o p a o **a m M MO O 9 Xa M MM*1 _ O pa o xco 03 g M SS O MO M4 X 9 MMMXM MMO 5 yo 9 ei&gxgx a a mooo 1MO MO MO <a X9 _ 3 MM *4 a O o 3 t< 9 O 9 Q> n O MM PPC a C _*3 XM a Xa mm MC MBS <4 MM MOO OOC o a 3 *i m O *3 *< o 3W3 X POO 9 m *a m M9 x M M3 OM 9 3M O *< pdyeo a a 99O3OC9 *-fcXa a sco a MS43 MMOO 3 C MMO 9 P M 9 M M MB 9 M*0 9 MS M>1 MVi m 3 a m m < 00 -<3 9 9aM M CkODO XO a MONO a *1 O 0*0 9 0 .*0 00 O M <9 9 30^00mP o xca a mm a a tyx mo M3 MM X O M a x ooo ** o n p a ca M*1 C MMM 9a o M9 MB 9 a X X* MM 99 X y 3 *5 9 9 O M 03 X 5 3 M 9 3 9 93 3>O PM< MB *4 M 9 9X3 MO 8 a 9 9 o3m am MB MM 3 9 CO *< O M 9 M 9 3 a *< X M'S M-- 9 "3 Mr- O 00*3 0 03 3 _O Q 03 n Om *3 O 3OC 3 c* M PC 33 a o o 3 9 9 a * M X Oh 9 3 C 9 vo ON o nce of lated (s llio o e le s o * i l f ic o ar No s is dooe . fIi n i t e I * O cn BQnte M 903 s0lo ir *2 {< OA c1a 3M9 39 >M :-*& >A Q ob * 9 9 *33 O *<3009 12.31 <9 9 HB O MO 3 < M9 9A 90 o3 cd^To V* * am stspS4V 9a no ? o <0 0 M 1 113 O M* M X 3 999 | M MOB M3 9 0 30 o a^a 9 C>9 3 5 OmV*^AsB O Otr 9 Qt 9 9 3 MS MO 9 9 90 9 O 9 99 9 Q* 0 9 9 0 330 O3O9 O M Q* 3 O O MMM 9 OS < 9 O 3 0 9 3m53^ 47Qi O MO l-tO O 033 390 a O < 3 s* 0 0 33 3 9 O < -*9 O 3 *3*BAMMt-* > g..9 Q* < OJ ,, 0 *3 >4 3 M>3 0 0*0 900 o 3*0 3 9 0 M3 M O 3 3**g m---*2^ e?8 M 0 9 0 3 a 3OOM 9 O M9 O' >g M 3 M MBw a O 0*09 10 MM O O 3 3 3MO 9 MOB 9 O MM MMO 0 9 39 M MMO M3 iHff 9 9 9 90 M HIM O M 99 99M '--'O 9 M 3 --99090 CDMO MM9 O 390 < 3 9 O 0 0 33 M 9 h?# 9 9 3 9M 9 MO 0 30 3 9 39 3 MM M 3 3 Oi M nM>99 vnoa 909 M9 9 O 900 9 ."J3 -3 < 9 & O 3M < M O 3 9 C 3*< O M 9 9 99 9or 09 -nno myon 090 Bo M3oCnno9 CD m M *0 9 M 03990 MOB MOO 330 0> OB 9 M H* 0 9 3< CB O9 9 M Memorandum: O 9 a%oa.c" *< M<< O M9 990 a9 3& a O 9 M >M a 3 S OB s 3 03 CO tjo n O3M si? OM 20"92 02 o0 _ MOB CD 9M aso m O9M 09 0 *3 MO MO M M3 M 9*0 M niS__O_ o909 go* M3 3OM <OM 030 O3 M9 33 3 M 9 *< MM3 MM OO ^ 3 &An < O3 <0 1 V* I Ol M 3 *s64 3 9 9< V<OJ\ o .^ ^ Memoranda:!: Dr. A. King -6 13th January, I960. Conclusion. The percentages quoted above (l.e. 12# of asbestos workers suffering from industrial cheat disease with over 4 years exposure compared with 1% of gold miners with over 10 years exposure) are crude and probably paint too black a picture of the conditions which existed* with a shift ing working population it Is almost Impossible to mark out accurate Incidences* However9 the very high labour turnover at ffittenoom Is necessarily associated with a short average exposure per worker and many workers at risk were protected 8Imply because their exposure time was too short* At least one of these short-term workers has bees diagnosed as suffering from Aabeetoels many years after he left the industry. The problem Is essentially one of ventilation contacted with a proper appreciation of the relative Importance and medical significance of the asbestos fibre as distinct from the nillea particle. Despite the many marked improvements which have been effected at the Mine and Mill* X cm not satisfied that the risk of Industrial chest disease has been eradicated or even brought to par with the risk of silicosis is the gold mining Industry. The prevention of industrial chest disease is a medico-engineer ing problem requires close liaeon between the Sines Department 9 who are responsible for ventilation and dust counts9 and tbs medical officers, who are responsible for the periodical clinical and chest x--ray examinations* V CHEST PgfSICIAB and Mirras MEDICAL OFFICER. 054 5 055 <. I copy ( District Hospital, KALOOCSin. l}th January, I960, / Dr, A, Xing, The Director, Tuberculosis Control Branch, 17 Murray Street, PERTH. Periodical cheat x-ray examination of workers at the Australian Blue Asbestos la 1939 disclosed no nee. cases of Asbeetceia, although there are several men whose x-rays moat be considered suspect. These whose x-rays are considered auspicious ef Asbeatosls will be examined again in I960. The length of exposure ef workers contracting Asbestosls or Silicosis is much shorter **" comparably employed sen in the gold-mining Industry and ths extant of disease is greater. The small number of workers and ths extrsmaly high labour turnover asks this less obvious. Thera are a nuabar of pussling and disquieting features. Zn several Instances Asbestosls has been dlsgnos in underground workers although tha disease had bean oenalda peculiar to the Bill. One member of the train cram undargrouad, not usually at great dust risk, has what appears to be a mixture ef Sillcoeia, Aabasteala and possibly Tubareuloala. An ax-undergreuad shift boas, now an underground supervisor, has an abnormal cheat x-ray and asbestos bodies in bla sputum. Ths Uinss Department has permitted me to tnspm tha results of thair periodical dust counts. It la ebvious that ths ntw kill is a great improvement on ths old Mill and that conditions underground have alee improved. It is too early to tell whether the new Bill will be responsible for fresh cases of industrial cheat diseases or not. The .disquieting features about tha dust counts are two folds- 1) Ths rook mined is apparently highly sllleloua and therefore particularly dangsrona. The dost counts are on a par with the figures for tha gold mines. Should they not have a muh higher standard to aim at in view of the dangerously high allies content and the additional asbestos risk? 056 j 2) The duet count* ere of particle* only, the sane Instrument is used for detecting silica particles and asbestos fibres. The dangerous particle size in Silicosis is less than 5 microns, in Aebestosis the dangerous fibre length is between 20 and UQ microns. The dust counts are therefore of little value unites they she* the number of fibres per co within that range. I do not knee Aether there is an accepted national einiean fibre count for asbestos dust* eiUssr-in England-or America but it esses wrong that two completely-different dost hazarda should b* sstlmated in ths same way. Kanjr workers rams in at ffittenoo* for leas thj on* year and lsss than 5g( of tha tork feres, at any on* tins, haw* bean continuously employed for sore than four years* A very rough estimate of th* percentage of workers, with over U years exposure sad suffering free industrial chest disease, is 12$ {estimated by expressing th* number of workers, detailed below* as s percentage of the nuaber of workers exaalned in 1959 whose initial aining certificate was issued prior to 1955* In recent year* it would be unusual to dlagno: Silicosis In a gold miner with less than 10 years exposure. .0. in 1958, there were no new cases of Silicosis in the 0-10 year group, 20 casss m th* 10-20 year group and 29 cases in the 20-30 year group. Expressed as s percentage of the total nuaber of mine workers this gives ea annual incidence of Silicosis of spproxlastsly 1$. These percen tage incidences are not very eeourete and are not really cosparable, but they do illustrate ths grave hasard which elated st fflttenoom compered with the genersl aining industry. Th* following are tbs particular* of eases of industrial disease detected st Wltteaoea sine* 1958. The list is complete as far as our records go, but there aay be e few esses diagnosed elsewhere who ware not examined under either of the relevant Ulnlng Aete and therefore not breugh to our notice. Some newly diagnosed eases of Silicosis are not Included because of previous lengthy gold-ainlng histor which could reasonably b* held responsible. There have also been a few eases cf workers developing pulmonary tuberculosis without Silicosis or Asbestosls, but :helr nuaber doe* not suggest eny pertlcula hasard et ffittenooa, other than that associated with mining in genersl. rv <-j.yj t - AK0 H490Tf AA4 >A0* HA A A -- OHO 3 AA a to**e<*o h i; o' h 3 - * 55* **> a AJwoaPa>4 4 A ST 09 O A A * A * A H A A AO ha tad At H 4*0 M A 5 4 H g H A A A 5 < A A A e ho eft3 3 So'*?'* h AH*oAH<7 0 SA AA A <* A A *H74 9_ AAO O' 7H 3 A A AS A NO HO'Cb c* A 5 M A A Zll=~2 VHS3H <JI *< 25* ** 5a > VH *> f imHO* 14 A 5? 2 Z> &H > O' CSV > *a4 >o e> AA 32 sf h& A n b e s to o ia 3t yeara M ill A.B.A. 1 year u /g . A.B.A. oA a Idnl a1a95bl l in h la sputum. i tthy e n ho and had pere T -7B H\J * O A *4 < Hj A A 4 aS 4 1 A 9 <*A A 3fta&M H5*^n3gSH, Coated work a t A .B .A . on 8/ I O / 5I*. Diagnosed A e b e s to a ls fo llo w in g pneumonia eeverc, lo te n t p u lm o n a asbestos ry b o d ie s ) (0 .n 1<aa1aa>i aH* H- I- >C vr *< OMM- a mm >* oaft 2i? 32 53 B H | -J aa< aaasaa afatsaa a *i* 1 I> I9sSt t2 > M ft HHlyi **s-maa fast saa a *j i a e: cM> >9*.ft aaa1 *aai M o >8 3 at aa>miaaaomsao3mf*t 3 me* *aj* am.aam a m ft a>aVa.mammM *s ?am sma ft* o a an K*iSZ? zsU's SS828SS? :Oaf39t<M8*aS*g*Ma<ftfoiSt cOg|Saafftt-aff*ntt ferfllS 4S8*?? ft __ M***B?2 *O'8* amfta o o rai m?** ft2 00*11 ws* ?i fat*vnfctis* soaftfMt *O5a2C*8fat8a* ? ? 2 s c o cn O ns * ;,2 S3 amo Max eao&e5 gmmfin*3iai >ft-f-t>1 amaH n3 a9 n3 a Os Qm>! ft B3? Ifi*:*. l:5trl 2 II S'* *2? -as5ii iifsss M*"e a d-- * 3SSSS O3 oM a --<1 a < i:"?3 a o M3oMM3 m il ;& .* I 5 Conclusion; The percentages quoted shove (l.e. 13l of asbestos vorieere suffering froa Industrial chest disease with ever k years exposure ooepared with of sold miners with ever 10 years exposure) ere crude A probably point too black s picture of the courtItions ilch existed. With s shlftlac worttlac papulation it is almost impossible to work out accurate laeldeneesi ---However, the vear-higb labour turn over st witteaeem Is ssessserlly aaeeelstsd with s short torags exposure per worker and saay workers at risk were pretested elsply because their exposure time see too short. At laeet one of these ahort-tera workers has bam diagnosed ee suffering froa ASbestcsle aany years after he left the lndueti7. The problem le eeeeatlally one of ventilation eondueted with a proper appreciation of the relative laporter.ee and medical significance of the asbestos fibre as distinct froa the allies particle. Despits the aany aarked laproveasnta which have been effected at the kins end Bill, I aa not satis fied that the risk of Industrial cheat disease has been ersdleat or even brought to per with the risk of silicosis In the gold Pining industry. The prevention of Industrial disease la a aedleo-englneering problem end requires close llclacn between the Bines Department, who ere responsible for ventilation ar.d dust counts, and the eedloal officers, who are responsible for the periodical clinical end chest x-ray examinations.