The social context of occupational disease: asbestos and South Africa

Journal Article · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1981 · Int. J. Health Serv.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2190/7WE1-WPCB-XYUT-PKBE· OSTI ID:5656521

Myers, J

General issues of industrial health are raised in relation to the production of asbestos and asbestos-related diseases in South Africa., A historical analysis of these diseases and their control in Britain demonstrates some general problems of occupational diseases with long incubation periods and their implications for capital and labor. In order to understand the role of the research establishment, an attempt is made to situate the state in the conflict between capital and labor. The terms and weapons of this ideological arena are investigated. The South African situation is then discussed. Its evident weaknesses--the lack of statutory limits on exposure, capital's responsibility for monitoring exposure and health, the inefficiency of the state inspection, and the meagerness and racial disparities in compensation--are related to the weakness of organized labor. These weaknesses are linked to the movement of certain industrial processes, finally acknowledged as unsafe by most academic research, away from the developed countries. In these countries, the strength of labor and environmental organizations has caused a decline in capitalist productivity.

• OSTI ID: 5656521
• Journal Information: Int. J. Health Serv.; (United States), Journal Name: Int. J. Health Serv.; (United States) Vol. 11:2; ISSN IJHSC
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

552000 -- Public Health
560306* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology-- Man-- (-1987)
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS
AFRICA
ASBESTOS
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
GOVERNMENT POLICIES
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE
INDUSTRY
LABOR
LABOR RELATIONS
MEDICINE
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY
PUBLIC OPINION
SAFETY
SOUTH AFRICA
TEXTILE INDUSTRY
WORKING CONDITIONS