\ ASBEST if KILLS Most of us are aware, as of the different types of asbestos men. Furthermore, one would expect of the group chosen at late, a lot of publicity has only the blue type (crocidolite) been given to the material is dangerous. It is an opinion random 16 would die of lung asbestos. The controversial Y I myself have heard all to fre- cancer. Of the 632 insulation programme screened by Yorksh- quently and is a dangerous myth workers, 105 died of lung can- cer and 50 died of mesothelioma ire T.V., "Alice A Fight For however popular a notion it may The chances that anyone would Life", whiched slammed the be. In Britain alone, a trem- die of this disease are one or materials use in industry, as endous amount of research is two in ten thousand. done much to enlighten public taking place which suggests You may ask what is the gov- awareness to the health risks that one fibre, be it blue, wh- ernment doing about it? The associated with asbestos con- ite or brown, can kill. During answer to that is quite simply, taining materails. the l970's a voluntary ban was little or nothing. The fact Why so much controversy sh- put on Blue asbestos in this that at least 200 former empl- ould surround asbestos, is in country. However, it is inter- oyees of Acre Mill, Hebden itself cause for much discuss- esting to note that blue asbest- Bridge, a factory once owned ion, when one considers that os at the time amounted to only by Cape Asbestos, have contr- there is not one single use 5% of the industries business. acted asbestosis and mesothel- for which asbestos is really This has led many to conclude ioma, despite the fact that necessary and that, many people that, blue asbestos albeit ex- successive British governments will die for something as in- trmely hazardous, has been used have been aware of the lethal significant as an oven glove, as a convenient scapegoat, which consequently as left the other qualities of asbestos since as a vinyl floor tile or the pad early as 1906, suggests crimin- of an ironing board, then the varieties virtually unaffected. al complacency at the very public must ask itself why, in The most damning evidence to least. Moreover, production of spite of the hazards do we con- date against white asbestos (ch- asbestos world wide, doubled tinue to use asbestos? rysotile), is that of Professor between 1930 and 1976, accord- The answer to this must ob- Irving Selikoff, of Mount Sinai ing to the World Health Organ- viously lie in the fact that Medical School, New York. For isation. asbestos is profitable. Brit- the last forty years he has been Following the aftermath of ains largest asbestos company, studying 632 New York asbestos Acre Mill, the government set Turner and Newall, last year insulation workers who, in the up the Advisory Committee on turned over a profit of £8.5 main, have been working with wh- ite asbstos. Of the 632 all but Asbestos, chaired by Mr Bill million. Just how much things Simpson who was chairman of have changed can been seen in 100 have now died. He maintains the Health and Safety Commiss- the fact that in June of this that of a comparable number of ion. The committee met for 3 year and prior to Yorkshire people chosen at random and years and was hailed as the T.V.s documentary, Turners matched for age,sex etc., stat- inquiry to end all inquiriers. informed shareholders, "that istically, one would expect that To date, not one of its 41 much of the steam had gone out of these, 64 would die of can- recommendations have become of the anti-asbestos lobby and cer. Of the age group he stud- law. The government has now de- that there was not that much ied, cancer killed 238 of the cided to introduce new regulat- concern in the UK." ions into the use of asbestos. Does this sound like a com- However, it is felt by many pany that proclaims to be work- that the four recommendations ing its butt off to find alt- are likely to have little eff- ernatives to asbestos? Why ect on the asbestos indistry. Turners should find so much There is, for example, still difficulty in finding substit- no compulsory labelling of as- utes is strange to say the bestos products. least, when you consider that What could be done to protect in 1980 alone, 1,000 and more people from the dangers of as- patents were filed relating to asbestos substitutes. Per- bestos? There is doubt that haps, the answer to this problem nothing short of a total ban may lie in the fact that Turners on asbestos will effectively themselves have significantly protect people from the hazards reduced their staff working on Sweden has already banned it. research into substitutes. There is however, not much ev- idence to suggest that this It is often argued that of possibility as ever been taken cont'd p. ll Z3 :Ever wonder what they do in those Freemason lodges.Well according F3-I!’ C19‘? to supergrass Michael Gervaise singing at the Old Bailey last month, they exchange informat- ion but it seems to be The fact that we have :Remember its not onl in all one wayumasons in the finest police in South Africa that pegple the police tip off their the world is beyond "die"in police custody. fellow masons in the doubt but,the finest In I981 the number of underworld when things at what is the real deaths in Britain was 49 are getting a bit too question.Just a quick In I980 it was 63.In the hot. look through the state Zetropolitan area it has :A.Bradford man was awa- press will soon give increased from 20 in I980 rded £24,275 for wrong- you the answer. to 27 in I98I.An inquest ful imprisonment.When A.Birmingham couple verdict was given in 42 asked to make a statement were given £I,700 dam- of the 49 cases and death a Home office spokesman ages in an out of cou- was due to natural causes said that £25,000 was rt settlement against in only I7 cases. awarded last year in ano- the West Midlands pol- ther case of wrongful im- ice after their four prisonment.Perhaps it was year old daughter was the only thing he could knocked over and killed think of saying,now if by a police car speed- he just waited one day ing along the road. look what he could boast :PC David Wactell of about,£5I,OOO damages the Thames Valley poli- awarded to a Jamaican ce was dismissed for couple after the Metropo- selling information from litan police smashed in the police cdmputer to their front door and sav private detective agen- agely attacked them.It cies,strange we always sounds like justice but thought Thatcher was in when you just think it | 4 1 favour of free enterpr- 4 4 - took them six years bef- 1 ise. 1 ore the case was brought :PCIMartin Jones of the to court and even now Dyfed-Powys police let the police are appealing a fellow police officer :If by now, you were against the award. punch him in the face so wondering whatever hap- :Pc William Wilson an- that they could fake pened to the cream of other Wiltshire police evidence of assault aga- the worlds finest,dont man(it must be all that inst a I5 year old boy. despair here they are. cider)is somebody we Apparently after beating Scotland Yards latest must admire,after fall- up the boy in the street corruption inquiry has ing behind with the he realized that there run into a spot of bot- paper work he had a is no such charge as her.The man chosen to brainwave and set fire "being a police punch- head the operation was to the police station, ball"hence the need for himself involved in unfortunately he only a face change. the case which lies be- managed to destroy the :Now dont start thinking hind the current alleg- personal property of that its only PCs who ations.He has a spot- nine of his colleagues. find themselves in the less record but you know :An unnamed senior po- d0ck.Inspector John Wat- what they say about one lice officer has been ers of the Westlmidlands rotten appel in the bar- suspended frmm duty (we love fast cars and rel. while detectives inves- small girls)police was :Still in London,a super tigate a discrepancy found guilty of assault- grass has told how he of between £I,800 and ing a insurance consult- carried out burglaries £5,000 from the books ant whom he was trying with his partner,a Dete- of the West Midlands to drag to the police ctive Inspector of the police football league. station while off duty. Flying Squad(strange its :we must feel a little not like that on the TV). sorry for Sergent Gerald In evidence at the Old Smith of the Wiltshire Bailey the informer also police because he failed said that two other Fly- in his attempt to murder ing Squad detectives had policewoman Louvaine tried to discourage hbm 1Woolway.Better luck next from giving evidence time Gerald. about police corruption. I 4 1 The Department of Employment in NALGO members have rejected aff- 1979, commissioned Prof. Gennard iliation to the Labour Party N of Strathclyde University to by a massive majority in a ba- conduct a survey on the closed llot to decide the issue.