SafetyAtWorkBlog asked Yossi Berger, National OHS Co-ordinator, Australian Workers’ Union, for comment on the relaunched Mesothelioma Registry. His response is below “The only known cause of meso is exposure to asbestos. If you are diagnosed with it you have a 50% chance of surviving longer than 12 months. Any lung physician will tell you that it’s a … Continue reading “Prominent unionist renews pledge on asbestos”
The Australian Workplace Relations Minister, Julia Gillard, this morning launched the latest Australian Mesothelioma Registry. SafetyAtWorkBlog took the opportunity to ask Safe Work Australia some specific questions about asbestos and government policy. Their responses are below. The government has awarded the contract for the new Australian Mesothelioma Registry to a consortium led by the Cancer Institute of NSW.
Workcover New South Wales issued three safety alerts in early April 2010 that deserve attention. Carriage failure on ferris wheel amusement devices Importation of tremolite asbestos natural stone tiles Safety procedures for temporary bracing of concrete tilt-up panels New South Wales seemed to have a spate of faults on amusement rides over the last few months – Ferris … Continue reading “Three Australian Safety Alerts – asbestos, rollercoaster and tilt-up construction”
On 15 February 2010 Safe Work Australia (SWA) released a report entitled “Asbestos Exposure and Compliance Study of Construction and Maintenance Workers“. It found, according to the SWA media release: “Most tradespersons were aware of the potential health risks of asbestos. This high level of general awareness is not accompanied by the knowledge of how to recognise … Continue reading “Asbestos awareness high. Safety? Not so”
SafetyAtWorkBlog has not reported on the asbestos compensation problems faced by James Hardie Industries directly because in 2009, the issue is one of corporate responsibility more so than workplace safety. The reality is that asbestos kills and victims deserve compensation. The fact that asbestos companies are avoiding their responsibilities is of little surprise. In Australia, most of the … Continue reading “CSR in firing line on asbestos compensation”
Following on from Asbestos Awareness Week, an ABC media report on 3 December 2009 says that the Australian Workers Union is continuing to apply pressure to the Tasmanian Government and Cement Australia for testing of former employees and local residents for exposure to asbestos. An epidemiological study of former employees has been agreed to by the company and is being conducted … Continue reading “Union continues pressure on asbestos as an urgent public health issue”
During Asbestos Awareness Week 2009 in Melbourne Australia the trade union movement pledged to begin a national strategy to control and remove asbestos from Australia. This would have been a very tall ask any time in the last two decades but Asbestos needs to compete now with Climate Change for the attention of the media, … Continue reading “Asbestos Awareness Week calls for action”