Smelter- asthma link possible

Press, 3 June 1982, Page 16

Smelter- asthma link possible

NZPA Melbourne Research by Alcoa Australia has uncovered a possible link between working in an aluminium smelter and asthma.

The research at Alcoa's Point Henry plant in Geelong, Victoria, shows that workers affected are those in the potroom where.'alumiria powder is converted into '■*; aluminium metal... Point Henry’s medical officer, Dr Robert Oliphant,

said that an average of 2 per cent of potline workers succumbed to asthma. There are about 320 potroom workers at Point Henry. Alcoa moves workers

from the potrooms to other areas once the ailment is diagnosed.. L Dr Oliphant’said the connection , between asthma and aluminium smelting had not been made’ previously because the attacks occurred ‘ several hours after a worker

finished his shift. Alcoa began to recognise the complaint in the mid--1970s when it looked at the over-all health of its workers, rather than treating solely work-related complaints such as noise, dust, or fumes. Alcoa had been referring taffected.workers at its Point Henry plant to a respiratory specialist in Melbourne for extensive testing, Dr Oliphant said.