RECOMMENDED WEBSITES
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The reviews of websites on this page are necessarily brief due to constraints of time. The lack of a review should not be taken as a negative comment: we only include websites that appear to work well and offer useful information. For the most part, government and institutional sites can be assumed to be comprehensive and need little explanation from us. Some health & safety sites have been included which do not contain extensive material on asbestos. They may, nevertheless, provide useful contacts in a particular geographic region.
We have included the websites of four law firms; the inclusion of these firms does not preclude the exellence of many other legal practitioners, but since they have proven abilities in the field of asbestos litigation they provide a benchmark, by which the services of others may be judged.
International Organisations
European Union
Brazil
Canada
France
Italy
Japan
Spain
United Kingdom
United States
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International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)
(WHO Agency)
http://www.iarc.fr
As would be expected a search on the word "asbestos" produces a useful list of monographs on the carcinogenic properties of the various forms of the mineral. Of particular interest are the numerous references cited in these papers. The homepage may be a little slow to load on older systems due to a large image. But this is a common problem nowadays. (Reviewed June 2000)
European Trade Union Congress (ETUC)
http://www.etuc.org
Stylish and well-laid out site. Useful for gaining access to national member unions and congresses. Of particular interest for information on asbestos (and of course other hazardous substances and working practices) is The European Trade Union Technical Bureau for Health and Safety (TUTB), which can be referenced from the ETUC site or, directly, here: http://www.etuc.org/tutb (Reviewed June 2000)
The International Federation of Building and Wood Workers (IFBWW)
http://www.ifbww.org/
The IFBWW, based in Switzerland, boasts 10 million members through its affiliated 287 unions in 124 countries. The site works well, providing a full calendar of events for the current year and details of ongoing asbestos activities. (Reviewed December 2005)
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European Agency for Safety and Health at Work
(EU Agency)
http://agency.osha.eu.int
The site is well laid out and works well. It provides access to agency publications and initiatives as well as European legislation on OSH matters in most European languages. Each member state provides a Health and Safety 'focal point' which can be reached simply from the European site. The national focal points have the same interface as the Agency site which simplifies use. They provide links to national sources of information on government legislation, standards and codes of practice as well as to selected national institutions and companies concerned with Health and Safety. They do not, at present, have links to voluntary organisations such as victim support groups.
NB. Individual features of the national sites may be implemented differently from the main Agency site. For example, the sitemap of the EU site is clear and works well, whereas the corresponding page on some focal-point sites is barely implemented at all.
(Reviewed March 2000)
EU's Scientific Committee on Toxicity, Ecotoxicity and the Environment
(EU Health and Consumer Protection)
http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/fs/sc/sct/outcome_en.html
The agendas are at:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/fs/sc/sct/agenda_en.html
(Tested February 2003}
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The British Asbestos Newsletter
(Quarterly publication)
http://www.lkaz.demon.co.uk
The site carries web versions of the last 22 issues of the newsletter which is distributed to victim support groups, public bodies, lawyers, researchers, doctors, academics and environmentalists in over thirty countries. Initially the focus of the articles was on asbestos-related news in Britain but latterly European, Australian and international events have been covered. Stories cover asbestos-related topics in a variety of areas: legal, medical, historical, economic, corporate, sociological, etc. (Reviewed March 2000)
Hazards
(Quarterly publication)
http://www.hazards.org
Hazards is a widely respected health and safety magazine. Described as 'union-friendly,' this quarterly publication is supported by the TUC but is published privately and enjoys editorial independence. The recently revamped website, reflects the wide-range of topics covered in the print version, providing access to many current and back articles. Reports from a wide range of foreign correspondents enhance the in-depth coverage of international issues, which feature prominently. The resource section - currently under some seventeen subject headings - points the reader in the direction of a wealth of relevant material within Hazards' articles and from external sources. In the latter regard, articles in Risks - the TUC's online weekly health and safety bulletin - are frequently referenced. The site works smoothly and the content is both extensive and of high quality. One small gripe is that the pdf article files can take some time to download using a dial-up modem, but the material is usually worth waiting for and this problem disappears with broadband access. A search on the word 'asbestos' produced references to 166 articles and news items on the website. (Reviewed March 2003)
Occupational and Environmental Diseases Association
(OEDA)
http://www.oeda.demon.co.uk/
Useful information, for asbestos sufferers and their families, can be found on the OEDA website. The charity was founded in 1978 by Mrs. Nancy Tait whose husband, a senior Post Office engineer, died in 1968 from mesothelioma. (Reviewed August 2005)
Mesothelioma UK
http://www.mesothelioma.uk.com/
The website of Mesothelioma UK provides impartial and current information on mesothelioma for patients and their carers. The site is easy to navigate, contains information and diagrams on subjects such as: what is mesothelioma, diagnosis and treatments. New sections under development will deal with: active symptom control, end of life issues, clinical trials and other subjects.
There is a web link to the booklet (revised 2005): Mesothelioma: Information for people with Mesothelioma and their Carers by Mavis Robinson. (Reviewed August 2005)
The June Hancock Mesothelioma Research Fund
http://www.leeds.ac.uk/meso
This site reflects the work and interests of a charity set up in honor of June Hancock, an amazing woman who, like her mother, contracted mesothelioma from living near a Turner & Newall asbestos factory. Information about mesothelioma, advice and sources of support for victims and their relatives are included along with news of current developments. (Reviewed August 2005)
Health & Safety Executive
(UK Government Agency)
http://www.open.gov.uk/hse/hsehome.htm
The HSE is the UK 'focal point' for the EU Agency as described earlier. However, direct access to the HSE site, at present, yields a wider variety of material including a lengthy list of organisations, including voluntary ones, involved in the health and safety arena. (Reviewed March 2000)
Health and Environment at Work (HEW)
(sited at Edinburgh University)
http://www.med.ed.ac.uk/hew/links
or: http://www.agius.com/hew/links
Worthwhile links to sites containing educational material on occupational safety topics (including asbestos issues) as well as to similar material on the Edinburgh site(s). (Reviewed June 2000)
Leigh, Day & Co.
(Law firm)
http://www.leighday.co.uk
This is the website of one of the UK's better personal-injury law firms.
The site contains good solid advice for potential
claimants in an accessible format: click on "INDUSTRIAL DISEASE" in the central homepage menu,
then on "Asbestos" in the left sidebar menu of the resultant Industrial Diseases page. A search on the
word asbestos brings up over fifty articles covering Leigh Day's involvement in asbestos issues
both domestically and internationally.
(Reviewed December 2005)
Irwin Mitchell Solicitors
(Law firm)
http://www.irwinmitchell.com
The website of a large firm of solicitors with a history of successful asbestos litigation. Relevant
information is reached by clicking the drop down menu item: personal Injury | asbestos related
diseases. In addition to directions to legal advice and information, there are brief accounts of the
various asbestos diseases and an archive of case studies.
(Reviewed December 2005)
Anthony Coombs (Solicitor)
(Law firm)
http://www.anthonycoombs.co.uk
Anthony Coombs has had many years experience of successful asbestos disease litigation and
now specialises in handling mesothelioma cases. He has also taken a wide interest in global issues
concerning asbestos, including efforts to achieve a global ban on asbestos use. In addition to providing
a pathway to his legal sevices, the site also contains clear information on asbestos diseases and current
thinking on palliative care and treatment.
(Reviewed December 2005)
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Associao Brasileira dos Expostos ao Amianto (ABREA)
(Brazilian Association of the 'Asbestos-Exposed')
http://www.abrea.com.br
ABREA has been at the forefront of campaigns to achieve both domestic and international asbestos bans . The website describes the origins and aims of ABREA and carries links to other proactive groups both in Latin America and worldwide. (Reviewed June 2002)
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Ban Asbestos Canada (BAC)
(Bannir l'Amiante au Canada)
http://www.bacanada.org/main.html
Ban Asbestos Canada was formed in September 2003 following the international conference "Canadian Asbestos: A Global Concern." It is a volunteer-run organization dedicated to banning all types of asbestos world-wide.With many victims and their families represented in its membership, BAC is ideally placed to bear witness to the continuing destructive potential of the Canadian Asbestos Industry. The website content is increasing steadily with bilingual expression of key elements" (Reviewed June 2004)
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ANDEVA
(National association representing French asbestos victims)
http://andeva.free.fr
Recently re-launched website [in French] of group that played a leading part in campaigning for French and European asbestos bans. (Reviewed December 2001)
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Società Nazionale Operatori della Prevenzione (SNOP)
(National Association of Preventive Professionals)
http://www.snop.it
Well laid out site, in Italian. Provides access to local branches of SNOP throughout Italy. Produces an authorative quarterly newsletter addressing a range of occupational health issues (occasional articles in English). Up-to-date news and list of current and future events. (Reviewed March 2000)
Instituto Sindical de Trabajo, Abiente y Saluo (ISTAS)
(Spanish Trade Unions)
http://www.ccoo.es/istas
Very stylish site (in Spanish) with a lot of content. References to international databases. (Reviewed March 2000)
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Japan Occupational Safety and Health Resource Center
(JOSHRC)
http://www.jca.org/joshrc
JOSHRC produces a good quality newsletter regularly (3-4 per year) in Japanese. Some have
been translated into English; however, at the time of writing the latest issue on the site is
July 1999. Also shown on the site is a large local network of occupational health bodies,
members of which could presumably be contacted by e-mail. JOSHRC and BANJAN (see
below) were the chief organizers of the Global Asbestos Congress 2004 (see:
http://park3.wakwak.com/~gac2004 or the report
Global Asbestos Congress
(GAC 2004) on this site ).
(Reviewed December 2005)
Ban Asbestos Network Japan (BANJAN)
Japanese: http://park3.wakwak.com/~banjan/
English: park3.wakwak.com/~banjan/main/torikumi/html/issues.htm
BANJAN, founded in 1987, comprises trade unions, OSH and citizens groups and
others opposed to the use of asbestos. The English webpage referenced, details BANJAN's
efforts to raise awareness to asbestos dangers and achieve a ban on asbestos use. The content
relates largely to the 1990s but is quite extensive. More recent developments in which BANJAN
has participated can be adduced from reports of the GAC 2004 (referenced under JOSHRC). See
also
Asbestos Massacre at Japanese Factories and
Japan: Total Asbestos Ban by 2008! on the this website.
(Reviewed December 2005)
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Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)
(Agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov
The agency aims to "prevent exposure and adverse human health effects and diminished quality of life associated with exposure to hazardous substances from waste sites, unplanned releases, and other sources of pollution present in the environment." A search on the word "asbestos" produces a large number of documents (currently over 1000) on asbestos topics. These, together with references contained therein provide an impressive resource. (Reviewed December 2005)
Kazan, McClain, Edises, Simon & Abrams
( Law Firm)
http://www.kazanlaw.com
Informative site hosted by a law firm which is a leading litigator on behalf of asbestos victims. There is a particularly good section on mesothelioma here and the entire site is also available in Spanish. (Reviewed July 2005)