17:45 - 19:30, No.2 Conference Room
Workshop F
Victims and Support Organizations
Chairs: Kazunori Uekusa and Kyla Sentes
 |
Munehiro Yasumoto
Yokosuka Pneumoconiosis (Asbestos) Victims' Group, Japa
ABSTRACT
Corporative efforts to tackle pneumoconiosis and asbestos-related diseases in Yokosuka began in May 1982, when an outbreak of asbestos-related lung cancer was reported among the U.S. military bases and shipbuilding industry workers by Dr. Miura of Yokosuka Kyosai Hospital.
A group of investigators from Uraga branch of All Japan Shipbuilding and Engineering Union (SEU), the Kanagawa Occupational Safety and Health Center, and the Kanagawa Worker's Medical Co-op Minatomachi Clinic soon conducted an follow-up survey to find out deceased victims and interviews to check out health damages among retired shipbuilding workers, with the cooperation of Uraga Retired Workers, a group of retired SEU Uraga members. The group also offered retired workers health checkups and registered pneumoconiosis patients to the local Labour Bureau.
From November 1984, the group started to offer health checkup services for members of Uraga Retired Workers with the cooperation of Minatomachi Clinic. This health checkup services expanded later for retired workers of the Yokosuka Naval Base and was conducted every November until 1990. Through these efforts, the number of pneumoconiosis patients who won worker's compensation increased and the Yokosuka Pneumoconiosis (Asbestos) Victims group was set up in November 1985. In July 1988, eight retired workers of Sumitomo Heavy Industries filed a law suit against the company, demanding compensation for lung problems. In September 1989, the Kanagawa Worker's Medical Co-op opened a new clinic in Yokosuka to offer health checkups and health care services to local pneumoconiosis and asbestos-related disease patients.
The support system for pneumoconiosis disease victims was established in Yokosuka between 1982-1989. Because pneumoconiosis patients of Yokosuka were mostly shipyard workers, we have always been faced with asbestos problem. As a result, Yokosuka has also been a place to send messages about asbestos problem to people all over the country.