Worked In Intense Heat

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30447, 22 May 1964, Page 3

Worked In Intense Heat

(N Z. Press Association) AUCKLAND, May 21. A direction that the Labour Department and-Pacific Steel, Ltd., of Otahuhu, be given acopy of the evidence concerning the death of Thomas

Arthur, aged 56, a bricklayer, was made by the Coroner (Mr A. D. Copeland), at an inquest today. “This might result in similar deaths being avoided,” he said.

Arthur died at his home on October 31, 1963, after carrying out repairs to a large furnace ladle at the steelworks. The Coroner Said he could only conclude that -the carbon monoxide found in Arthur’s body was the residue of a higher concentration received at work. He found that Arthur died of acute heart failure and pulmonary oedema and exposure to carbon monoxide fumes and a' dangerous degree of heat stress. Willamina Arthur, wife of the dead man, said he complained of chest pains when he came home. He tbld her

it was too hot when he was laying bricks inside the ladle. He could only lay two bricks at a time and then come up for air.

William Ivan Glass, assistant medical officer of health, at Auckland, described temperature measurements carried- out inside the ladle under circumstances similar to those under which Arthur worked. He said a heat stress index of 230 was. calculated inside the ladle. A reading of 100 was considered to be the maximum strain for a fit young man.

Desmond John Andre Boyle, a pathologist, said Arthur’s blood was found to be 15 per cent saturated with carbon monoxide. "The conditions of his work would have exposed him to a dangerous degree of heat stress,” said Doyle.