About 200 Japanese construction workers and their families, all of whom live and work in the Tokyo area, have announced plans to sue the central government, claiming that it failed to take the proper precautions to protect them from developing asbestos-related illnesses.
According to an article in the Asahi Shimbun, “the prospective plaintiffs are workers living in Tokyo, Chiba, Saitama and Kanagawa prefectures, and bereaved families of workers who have already died. The workers toiled on sites in the Tokyo metropolitan area that used asbestos regularly, particularly during and after the 1960s.
The lawsuit, set to be filed in early March, will demand a total of 7 billion yen from the central government, about 35 million yen in compensation for each worker involved in the suit. The group hopes to entice other affected construction workers to join the suit as well.
“The lawsuit will also demand the government improve measures to prevent workers from coming in contact with asbestos when buildings are demolished, as well as train doctors to specialize in asbestos-related diseases,” the article notes.
Though warnings about the dangers of asbestos were issued worldwide in the 1970s, Japan did not ban the manufacture and use of major asbestos-containing products until 2006. The plaintiffs also claim that construction workers were neither required nor encouraged to wear masks while on the job.
“The government is responsible because it should have taken sufficient countermeasures at an earlier stage,” a representative of the prospective plaintiffs said.
The article explained that many of the construction workers are self-employed and are not eligible for coverage under the government-operated employee accident compensation insurance system.
The issue of widespread health concerns in Japan due to asbestos exposure came to light after Japanese machinery maker Kubota Corp. in June 2005 reported illnesses among former workers at its plant in Amagasaki, Hyogo Prefecture, and residents near the factory.
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