10 people in hemp sack recycling centers reportedly dead from asbestos-related sickness
A survey from an association shows that at least 10 people who were working at or lived near hemp sack recycling plants in Sakai, Osaka have died from asbestos-related diseases like mesothelioma. The group is demanding that the Sakai Municipal Government look into the problem as it is just the “tip of the iceberg.”
The Japan Association of Mesothelioma and Asbestos Related Disease Victims and their Families found out through their survey that 14 people who formerly worked for the recycling centers as well as their relatives and local residents have been exposed to asbestos, with 10 of them dying from diseases. 7 died from mesothelioma, 2 from lung cancer and 1 from lung asbestos. But while the number is just small at the moment, the association believes there are more out there. There were at least five such plants in Sakai that recycle materials from the post-war period up to the 70s, most of which were contaminated by asbestos.
Tokyo and Fukuoka Prefecture also had similar recycling plants and so the asbestos exposure may be wider. Non-profit organization Tokyo Occupational Safety & Health Center says there were two plants in Tokyo and one in Saitama Prefecture. Several workers who died from asbestos-related diseases have been recognized for workers’ compensation. The incubation period for mesothelioma is 30-50 years, and so the danger is not immediately known. Workers at the plants often used their hands to beat the asbestos dust out of the jute sacks, cut them up and then patch them together to create packing material. There was very low awareness among them at that time about the dangers of asbestos, and now the effect is slowly manifesting itself through these diseases.
[ via Mainichi ]
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10 people in hemp sack recycling centers reportedly dead from asbestos-related sickness
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