Japanese government sued by construction workers over asbestos exposure

Japan – Construction workers who are suffering from asbestos-related diseases and families of deceased workers are claiming that the central government failed to follow the proper guidelines to protect them from exposure to asbestos.

About 160 workers and families members are expected to file a lawsuit with the Tokyo District Court in May. The plaintiffs, who are from the Chiba, Saitama, and Tokyo prefectures, are reportedly seeking 35 million yen in compensation per person. According them, even after the World Health Organization and other international agencies had warned about the health risks associated with asbestos, construction materials that contained asbestos remained in use at building sites.

The plaintiffs also allege that the government did little to educate tradesmen, especially demolition workers who are at high risk, about these dangers. They said that a lot of the injuries and deaths could have been prevented with proper education.

Most of the plaintiffs are already receiving paid absence leaves from work after being officially recognized as suffering from a work-related illness. Families of deceased victims are currently receiving compensation from the pension funds of their deceased members.

Kazuo Miyajima, 78, who was diagnosed with lung cancer five years ago, is leading the other plaintiffs in the case. When he first found out, he thought the cancer was a result of smoking cigarettes, which he had been doing since an early age. However, tests proved that pleural plaque was present in his lung.

Mr. Miyajima had worked as a construction site electrician since he was 15 years old. He recalled him and his fellow workers using only towels to cover their mouths from asbestos and their clothes blanketed white with asbestos.

Similar lawsuits have already begun at the Osaka and Kobe district courts, and another suit is expected to be filed at the Yokohama District Court as well.

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