Thread: ACTU calls for asbestos audit

When I was in the fleet many years ago I slept on top of a locker, (hated hammocks) under an asbestos lagged steam pipe, my good friend slept on bags of the stuff in the engine room, (he is now dead from asbestosus) we all used to envy him when we were in the southern ocean.

Even though it was known as early as 1942 the stuff was lethal, nobody thought to inform the people that came in contact with it of the danger it posed , and when the genie finally did get out of the bottle the manufacturer upped stakes and bailed, then did everthing they could to negate responsibility for the human suffering they had caused, (don't think there is much chance of compo for building refurbishing). Maybe it's time that the ministers in charge of the relevant portfolios were held accountable for not performing the tasks alotted them

Originally Posted by amtravic1

It would be good to see it all gone. As a building trades worker I have been exposed many, many times when I was young because no-one told you it was dangerous.
I watched my father die from mesothealoma (spelling) and it was an awful thing to see happen to a strong man or any person for that matter.

It's not going away in ours or our children's lifetimes.

Every old house here has it, all the commercial buildings have it, and it's a nightmare for me everytime I have to do a penetration.

Back in school in the eighties we had heat pads in the science and metalwork blocks that I'm sure was it. (it sure looked like it)
We used to break it up and peg it at each other.

All the car/trucks clutches and brake pads and linings used it, our race pads up to about 1992 all still contained asbestos so all the old mechanics have been exposed as everyone used to use air to blow the dust out of the drums and clutch covers.

I've heard it said that an average city street corner from the fifties through the eighties was a dust cloud of asbestos from car/truck pads and linings, which may explain how people that have never worked in the construction/mining/defence industries can contract mesothelioma.

Mountain climber Lincoln Hall died last month from it and no one is quite sure how he contracted it, other than he helped his Dad build a cubby house from fibro back in the sixties.

so basicly we are all screwed.....good to know that if cancer doenst get me there is something in back up.