The eighteenth World Congress on Safety and Health at Work is scheduled for June 29 to July 02, 2008, and will be attended by four thousand industry leaders, policy-makers, and experts from more than one hundred different countries. The congress will be health in Seoul, in the Republic of Korea.
The World Congress on Safety and Health at Work is jointly organized by the International Labor Organization and the International Social Security Association. The congress meets every three years, and is the largest international event of its kind. The purpose of the meetings is to discuss health and safety in the workplace, and international efforts for improvement, with this year’s theme being “Safety and health at work: A societal responsibility.”
This year, the congress will also unveil the results of some pioneering research which was carried out on the relationship between occupational safety and health and environmentally-sustainable economic growth and development.
In addition, the Congress will include a Safety and Health Summit which will be attended by fifty decision-makers from countries all over the world. Government ministers, CEOs of multi-national companies, senior safety, health, and social security experts, and employer and worker representatives will be among those attending.
Dr. Sameera Al-Tuwaijri, Director, ILO International Program on Safety and Health at Work and the Environment said of the conference, “As the global toll of illness, injury and death from occupational accidents and disease continues to remain at unacceptable levels, this Congress will underline what needs to be done to ensure that a healthy working environment can be achieved. Not only is safety at work desirable, it must be recognized as a fundamental human right in the world of work.”
The ILO estimates that more than two million people die every year as a result of work-related accident, injury, or disease. The estimated cost to the global economy is up to 4% of global GDP. This year, the congress will provide recently revised estimates of the incidence rate and global impact of work-related accident, injury, and death, in addition to examining ways to improve work-place safety.
Participants will focus on several key issues, including the elimination of asbestos-related risk in the workplace, the possible risks of nanotechnology, improvement of workplace environments, HIV/AIDS in the workplace, and many others.
In addition to meetings and discussions the congress hosts an International Film and Multimedia Festival which includes short films about occupational safety. An International Safety and Health Exhibition will showcase products and technology for improving workplace safety. Participants will also visit companies such as Samsung Electronics, SK Incheon Oil Refining Company, and KIA Motors to look at safety and health management in these companies. (Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News)

U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Judith K. Fitzgerald this week approved an agreement which will finally see W.R. Grace & Company pay up for the costs of cleaning up the asbestos-contaminated town of Libby, Montana.
The agreement states that W.R. Grace & Company will reimburse the federal government $250 million for money it has already spent investigating and cleaning up in the town. According to an order signed during a recent bankruptcy hearing the company has thirty days in which to pay the money.
W.R. Grace & Company agreed to pay the $250 million in March, to settle a bankruptcy claim brought by the government for the cost of past, present, and future clean up of contaminated homes, businesses, and schools in Libby.
The wide-spread asbestos contamination in Libby has long been known as the cause of the deaths of hundreds of people. More than two thousand residents and workers have been diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases such as asbestosis and mesothelioma in the past decades.
The source of the contamination is a vermiculite mine which was once owned and operated by W.R. Grace & Company between 1963 and 1990. The mine is contaminated with asbestos, leading to exposure and disease not only for mine workers, but for residents of Libby as well.
Millions of tons of the contaminated vermiculite were shipped to hundreds of processing plants across America. The asbestos-containing vermiculite was used in household insulation (under the brand name Zonolite), fireproofing materials, gardening materials, and many other products.
The $250 million settlement for the cost of cleaning up Libby is the largest ever reimbursement settlement for the government’s Superfund Program, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
Even so, Justice Department attorney James D. Freeman claims the government made a “substantial compromise” in accepting the settlement W.R. Grace & Company offered. However, prompt payment of the money will allow the government to continue cleaning up the town without any delays due to budget constraints.
A recent estimate from an EPA official indicated that to date $168 million has been spent cleaning up Libby, and an estimated $175 million will be needed to complete the work over the next three to five years. That means a shortfall of almost $100 million, which the government will likely cover.
The government filed suit to retrieve the costs of cleanup in 2001, shortly after W.R. Grace & Company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The EPA won a judgment for $54 million in 2003, but that money was never paid. The $250 million settlement includes the original $54 million. (Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News)

 

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Charleston, West Virginia - Charleston contractor Rodney Loftis Sr. has been sentenced to two years’ probation and payment of a fine to the state Department of Environmental Protection for illegally dumping asbestos-containing construction materials.
Rodney Loftis Sr. is the present of Rodney Loftis & Son Contracting Inc., a contracting company which in 2004 and 2006 was involved in illegal asbestos disposal. Loftis was sentenced in Kanawha Circuit Court on Monday June 2. The criminal complaint which was filed claimed that Loftis violated two cease and desist orders relating to the dumping of asbestos waste at a property he owned.
At the sentencing on Monday, Judge Irene Berger told Loftis that despite the seriousness of his actions incarceration was not an appropriate sentence.
Loftis could have received a sentence of up to four years in prison: instead he received two years’ worth of probation and a fine of $37,500 as recommended by assistant prosecutor Rob Schulenberg. In addition, Loftis has been ordered to perform one hundred hours of community service and to pay $40 per month to cover fees involved in his probation.
Dumping of asbestos-containing waste in any location other than a licensed landfill is illegal due to the hazards associated with asbestos exposure. Inhalation of asbestos fibers can cause lethal diseases such as asbestosis and mesothelioma.
Asbestos was a common component of construction materials up until the 1980s due to its high fire resistance and other desirable factors, but the demolition or renovation of older buildings means the asbestos they contain must be dealt with appropriately.
The grand jury indictment against Loftis said the Department of Environmental Protection asked Loftis to show proof that he had properly disposed of materials taken from demolition jobs his company had done. DEP inspections indicated that Loftis had dumped asbestos-containing materials from several demolition sites.
After the sentencing hearing was over, Loftis expressed regret for his actions and claimed it was due to a misunderstanding, saying “I’d like to apologize to the state and to anybody I’ve done any hurt to.”
Later, he said, “I hate that it came to this. It was all a misunderstanding or we would not be here today. I don’t want to go into detail, but it’s all going to be straightened up and it will all be over with.” (Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News)

A controversial ruling by the United Kingdom’s House of Lords may end up denying thousands of people compensation for asbestos-related diseases if it is not overturned.
Since the ruling was made last year, the U.K. government has been discussing options to handle the situation, and has plans to publish a consultation paper on the issue later this month.
The House of Lords ruling concerns people suffering from an asbestos-related condition called pleural plaques. The plaques develop in response to asbestos exposure, and are sometimes a precursor to mesothelioma; however the pleural plaques are themselves a benign condition.
In its controversial decision the House of Lords ruled that people who suffered from pleural plaques caused by asbestos exposure no longer had the right to claim compensation. People with the condition had been able to claim compensation for twenty years prior to the new ruling.
U.K. Minister of Justice Bridget Prentice this week said that the consultation will begin by the middle of June, and will cover the ruling, its legal background, medical evidence relevant to the case, and the possible advantages and disadvantages of suggestions to alleviate issues caused by the House of Lords ruling made last year.
One proposal is simply that the decision be reversed. However, there are some issues relating to fairness to people claiming for other reasons, due to the details of the House of Lords ruling. Simply overturning the decision would mean people who had received a contaminated blood transfusion and had a higher risk of developing AIDS or hepatitis would be unable to sue.
Another option under discussion is setting up a trust fund from which people with pleural plaques or another serious asbestos-related disease could claim compensation.
The announcement of the proposal discussions comes on the hells of the launch of a test-case which could prove to be equally important for British asbestos compensation laws.
The case involved employers’ liability insurance, and will decide whether such insurance takes effect from when a worker is exposed to asbestos or from when the worker develops an asbestos-related disease.
The test case involves Charles O’Farrell, who died in 2003 after being exposed to asbestos while working for steel company Humphreys & Glasgow Limited. The company’s insurer is refusing to pay compensation for O’Farrell’s death, because the company has ceased trading and is in liquidation. This is an important test case because if the courts find in favor of the insurance company it might leave thousands of people unable to claim compensation, if they develop an asbestos-related disease at a time when the company responsible for their asbestos exposure is no longer in existence. (Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News)

Homewood, Illinois – Asbestos was discovered at the Homewood Fire Station at 17950 Dixie Highway in Homewood, Illinois, and testing is now underway to determine how much airborne asbestos is present in the building.
Village manager Mark Franz says that a small amount of asbestos may have been disturbed during some renovation work which was carried out on a water-damaged wall on the north side of the fire station. The work was carried out two weeks ago by a Homewood-based business, Rickoff Remodeling.
“It was just a small amount [of asbestos] discovered,” said Franz. “Unless a major problem is discovered through testing, we don’t anticipate closing down any other part of the building. But if there is more asbestos found than expected we’ll do whatever cleaning is necessary to make the building safe.”
When the asbestos was discovered, it was immediately removed by environmental consulting and contract service RCM. Following the removal air samples and other tests were carried out by RCM to determine how high asbestos levels are and whether exposure risks are present in the building.
According to Mark Franz, early asbestos tests indicate that one room on the north side of the fire station building may be above the threshold for permissible levels of asbestos.
Since the discovery and removal of asbestos the fire station has been inspected by the Illinois Department of Public Health, and officials have requested that a large part of the building be cordoned off until the results of the asbestos tests are in.
In addition, says Mark Franz, “the [health department] recommended a more aggressive test be done and we’re taking their advice.” Franz says the preliminary test results will be in some time this week.
Asbestos was so commonly used in construction up until the 1980s that the discovery of asbestos inside the Homewood fire station is not a big surprise. In fact, some recent reports indicate that asbestos may be a common fixture inside fire stations built before this time.
In Newton, Massachusetts, for example, the town’s fire stations will all be renovated over the next ten years, partly for the purpose of removing asbestos from the buildings. Recent renovation work in Newton’s Fire Station 3 exposed several firefighters to asbestos, and asbestos was also discovered at the town’s Fire Station 2.
In the case of the Homewood, Illinois station, the asbestos was discovered without any apparent exposure risks occurring, and if only low levels of airborne asbestos are found the station may be quickly found safe for normal occupation. (Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News)

The family of a former UNISON member has received more than 140,000 in compensation following his death from mesothelioma - a lung disease caused by exposure to asbestos in the workplace. Jim Crowe, from Wood Green in London, died aged 79, in June 2007 after developing the deadly disease. Jim, who left behind his wife, Tess, four children and four grandchildren, was exposed to asbestos while working for Greater London Council (GLC) and Haringey Council. (Source: Asthma / Respiratory News From Medical News Today)

The Mesothelioma Center within the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and Columbia University Medical Center is now recruiting patients for a clinical research study of a new targeted radiation and chemotherapy protocol for pleural mesothelioma, a cancer of the lung's lining that is almost always caused by previous exposure to asbestos. (Source: Asthma / Respiratory News From Medical News Today)

 

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Objectives: In the preoperative workup for radical surgery for malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM), mediastinal lymph node staging, diagnostic pleural biopsies and effusion control with talc pleurodesis are required. We present a new technique combining these objectives via a single cervical incision using the videomediastinoscope and demonstrate its clinical benefits. Methods: Video-assisted cervical thoracoscopy (VACT) was attempted in 15 patients (13 male, mean age 57 years), who were potential candidates for radical surgery. Following conventional cervical videomediastinoscopy, a 5 mm thoracoscope was advanced into the relevant pleural cavity through the mediastinoscope via a mediastinal pleurotomy. Pleural biopsies were taken followed by talc insufflation and cervical tube drainage. The clinical outcome was compared with 26 patients undergoing a staged preoperative workup during the same period. Results: VACT was successful in 10 patients (66.6%). In five patients (three right and two left), thoracoscopy was abandoned due to excessive mediastinal fat (1), thick pleura (2) and inability to enter the left hemithorax (2). Mean operative time was 71 (65–90) min and hospital stay 4 (3–7) days. One patient suffered recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy and one had persistent air leak. Ten patients subsequently underwent radical surgery. Time to radical surgery was significantly reduced by nearly 2 months in VACT patients (28 ± 17 days vs 87 ± 56 days, p
< 0.001). Conclusions: The benefits of this approach include reduction in postoperative pain, risk of biopsy site tumour seeding, and preoperative delay to radical surgery. VACT is feasible in right-sided mesothelioma but has not yet been validated on the left. (Source: European Journal of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery)

Background Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a mainly asbestos-related neoplasm that occurs with increasing frequency and is associated with a poor prognosis. Extrapleural pneumonectomy which was initially performed as a stand-alone treatment in patients with resectable disease is now currently almost uniformly applied as part of a multi-modal approach. Its value and advantage over other therapeutic strategies remain points of discussion. We therefore analysed our experience with extrapleural pneumonectomy in the treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma. Methods We retrospectively reviewed our institutional experience with all consecutive patients undergoing extrapleural pneumonectomy for malignant pleural mesothelioma from 1994 to 2005. Patients were analysed with regard to hospital mortality and morbidity and long-term outcome. Results Forty-nine patients (10 female/39 male, mean age 58
+
12 years) underwent extrapleural pneumonectomy during the observation period. Median ICU stay was 1 day, median postoperative length of hospital stay was 13 days. After a mean follow-up of 2573 days, median survival was 376 days (mean 672
+
121 days, range 9–3384). One-year survival was 53%, 3-year survival 27% and 5-year survival 19%. Conclusion Extrapleural pneumonectomy as part of a multi-modality treatment regimen is a good treatment option for selected patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma. The long-term results of this limited series compare favourably to non-surgical treatment regimens. Larger randomised prospective multi-centre trials are warranted to establish clear guidelines. (Source: European Journal of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery)

Malignant mesothelioma with heterologous elements: clinicopathological correlation of 27 cases and literature review

Modern Pathology advance online publication, June 27, 2008. doi:10.1038/modpathol.2008.125

Authors: Sonja Klebe, Annabelle Mahar, Douglas W Henderson
& Victor L Roggli (Source: Modern Pathology AOP)