Asbestos Legislation

A number of labor groups in the Australian state of Tasmania have given their stamp of approval to proposed legislation that would help asbestos disease victims gain access to compensation.

Kevin Harkins of Unions Tasmania told the Australian Broadcasting Company that under the current system those who have contracted an asbestos-related illness as a result of workplace exposure have to wait too long to receive compensation.

"When we have people entering the court system it can be many years until these issues are resolved," he said. "People that have asbestos-related diseases usually don't have that long to live."

Many workers in a variety of industries were exposed to asbestos while on the job as the naturally occurring mineral was once widely used as an insulator and flame retardant. However, by the mid-1960s it became known that exposure to asbestos could cause malignant mesothelioma, asbestosis and lung cancer.

Harkins says the new proposal, which would be financed through a 4 percent levy, would help asbestos victims.

"This will give them an opportunity to make the best of their lives and put their families in a good position financially as well," he told the news source.