Dr Andrew is a neglected, but key, figure in the history of
silicosis. As President of the Ballarat District Medical Society and a member of the Clunes Borough Council, he persuaded both bodies to alert the Royal Commission of 'the prevalence and the fatality of what is known as Miners' Disease amongst miners in the great quartz mining centres'.
Release date- 26072019 - Johannesburg - A full bench of the Johannesburg High Court today approved the settlement of the
silicosis and tuberculosis class action suit.
"The government is serious about the issue of
silicosis in mining areas.
Silicosis is an incurable occupational interstitial lung disease caused by free crystalline silica inhalation and its accumulation in the lung interstitium.
The exposure to the latter causes
silicosis a lung disease also known as grinder's asthma.
We don't want anybody years from now spitting a piece of their lung on the sidewalk from
silicosis."
However, although inflammation is a key feature of the reaction to inorganic silica particles, its contribution to pathophysiology and progression of
silicosis are not fully understood.
The most important occupational disease in context with silica is
silicosis. Suva (Schweizerische Unfallversicherungsanstalt --the Swiss National Accident Insurance Fund) has recognized
silicosis as a quartz dust-related occupational disease since 1938.
38 workers were diagnosed with
silicosis, 9 workers were suspected to be
silicosis whereas 52 workers were normal.
Now, over 20 years after the demise of apartheid and following one of the largest class action suits in the nation's history, untold thousands of South African and migrant workers blighted by
silicosis and tubercu- losis have finally received a small measure of justice.
Notably, there is no cap on the settlement amount, meaning that qualified members of the class will receive money based on the severity of their illness, not the number of people who come forward.<br />The suit began almost a decade ago when South African lawyer Richard Spoor began representing gold miners who developed tuberculosis and
silicosis from exposure to silica dust while working.
Except for two
silicosis patients who had smear positive tuberculosis, rest of the patients were misdiagnosed as having tuberculosis.
ISLAMABAD -- The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered the provinces and government agencies to strictly follow the guideline and recommendations given by the special committee constituted against the backdrop of deaths of stone-crushing labourers from
silicosis.
