Workers are paying the ultimate price

"Cam was a kind and gentle man and a good friend who suffered much in the end. He paid the ultimate price because he took work to raise his family and in doing so was carelessly exposed to a deadly industrial substance. . . . This is more than a tragedy. The dangers of asbestos were well-known in the years this worker was exposed, but were minimized and belittled by many owners, management, and the peddlers of asbestos alike. . . . The tragedy of all of this is the Governments also know that workers are exposed on a daily basis to deadly carcinogens, deadly toxins, musculoskeletal disorders that lead to permanent disabilities, yet Governments stick their heads in the sand and refuse to fix a system that is causing grievous harm to workers and their families. They also stand by when these claims are illegally denied by workers compensation boards . . ."

Sir:I just spoke with the distraught wife of another Sarnia worker who died recently of mesothelioma, cut down at age 51 by cancer caused only by asbestos exposure. He is one of many mesothelioma victims I have assisted with WSIB matters from Sarnia and I know there are many more to come.

Cam was a kind and gentle man and a good friend who suffered much in the end. He paid the ultimate price because he took work to raise his family and in doing so was carelessly exposed to a deadly industrial substance. His widow does not deserve the pain and suffering she is enduring. Think about the magnitude of losing your own life partner, and without knowledge of who caused their death.

Where are the people responsible? The people that are responsible are not sharing in the agonizing emotional pain of the spouse.

Most of them are likely sleeping well, without a care for the suffering they have caused. These are the people who have exhibited little precaution in regard to worker health risks, and cases like this are the outcome.

This is more than a tragedy. The dangers of asbestos were well-known in the years this worker was exposed, but were minimized and belittled by many owners, management, and the peddlers of asbestos alike.

I know this because of my own 27-year experience in heavy industry in Sarnia.

Today, innocent people deal with the cruel aftermath, people other than those who caused the suffering.

Those of you who are owners or direct work activities in any business have a duty to ensure workers are safe.

Many substances that exist in today's workplaces can harm, including asbestos.

Don't be one of those persons who did not care. A precautionary attitude should be the norm, not the exception.

Every human being owes that to each other.

Keith McMillan

National Representative, Health and Safety Communications Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada

Ontario Region Mississauga