Mesothelioma Info - Lung Cancer and Asbestosis
Regulations Controlling Working with Asbestos Tightened
Occupational Safety and Health
PRESS RELEASE
Thursday 14 January 1999
Tighter health and safety regulations governing working with asbestos come into force today in an attempt to reduce the incidence of asbestos-related disease in New Zealand.
There have been 554 cases of asbestos-related disease confirmed by the National Asbestos Medical Panel in the five years from March 1992 to October 1997.
Of these 554 cases, 96 were mesothelioma, 47 lung cancer, 118 asbestosis and 293 cases of pleural abnormalities. By occupation, carpenters, plumbers, laggers and fitters were together responsible for more than 60 percent of all cases.
The Occupational Safety and Health Service of the Department of Labour (OSH) says the new regulations which come into force today January 14 will help reduce the tragic incidence of asbestos-related disease in the future.
OSH Business Adviser Lyall Mortimer said many diseases related to asbestos exposure, such as mesothelioma, usually do not appear until many years later, sometimes only in retirement.
Updating these regulations will hopefully prevent these crippling and fatal disease appearing in future populations.
For example, under the new regulations further restrictions have been placed on the laundering of clothes, meaning workers cannot launder asbestos contaminated clothing in their own homes, Mr. Mortimer said.
Overseas investigations have shown that the amount of asbestos dust in a laundry where women have washed the clothes of husbands, brothers or sons over the years has been much higher than the levels in the factories where the men worked.
Mesothelioma Information
Malignant Mesothelioma is a rare type of cancer affecting the mesothelial tissue lining of three large body cavities. There are three distinct types of mesothelioma: pleural mesothelioma, peritoneal mesothelioma and pericardial mesothelioma. Causes of mesothelioma have been limited to asbestos exposure.
Mesothelioma treatment options (surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, etc.) have been unable to combat the fatal disease. Check out some of our other resources to get more mesothelioma info.