RN radio Pod Cast – 15th July – Asbestos continues to kill more people than car accidents every year in Australia. Once seen as a wondrous building material it remains in millions of homes in neighbourhoods around the country. Reporter Mario Christodoulou investigates Australia.

Please go to this link to listen to a very good conversation that informs and educates the general public to the asbestos issue we have today. 

http://radio.abc.net.au/programitem/pgE7ZpZZl6?play=true

A St Louis jury has awarded more than $6 billion ($US4.7 billion) in total damages to 22 women and their families after they claimed asbestos in Johnson & Johnson talcum powder contributed to their ovarian cancer, in the first case against the company that focused on asbestos in the powder. 

The jury announced the $5.6 billion ($US4.14 billion) award in punitive damages shortly after awarding $742 million ($US550 million) in compensatory damages after a six-week trial in St Louis Circuit Court.

Johnson & Johnson called the verdict the result of an unfair process that allowed the women to sue the company in Missouri despite most of them not living in the state.

The company has said it would appeal, as it has in previous cases that found for women who sued the company – news item attributed to ABC news 13/7/2018

See more at this link http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-07-13/johnson-and-johnson-ordered-to-pay-over-talcum-ovarian-cancer/9992078

23/5/2018 ACV/GARDS girls traveled to Leongatha Lions Club to speak with 26 of their members & make them asbestos aware – great bunch of members who made us feel very welcome – terrific questions – great night with much chatter around asbestos issues. We were very happy to meet everyone, we were asked to stay to dinner, which, by the way was absolutely scrumptious – thank you to all the Leongatha Lions Club members – pictured here are some of those happy members 

Today 16/5/2018 ACV/GARDS CEO – Vicki Hamilton was at AGL Loy Yang Power Station with 2 of our International 1st year medical students from Monash University Gippsland campus. These are 2 of the 4 four students who are with ACV/GARDS for 40 hours each to learn more about what we do in our org and how we support people who seek our help and our community connections. Today the students were with some terrific AGL employees who very obligingly gave the students a tour of their work place with a comprehensive look around the mine & a walk around the power station from the top to the bottom – just as well neither of them was scared of heights lol – thanks to all at Loy Yang who arranged this and made it happen – the students had a great day and learnt so much about the power industry – they have lots of info and a real concept of how big power stations are and the people who work in them. Again we thank management and staff for giving them an experience they won’t forget.

8/5/2018 – Asbestos Council of Victoria/GARDS team – Vicki & Dot at Bendigo TAFE delivering asbestos awareness session to 160 apprentice Plumbers, Electricians, Painting & Decorators & Carpenters terrific bunch – great conversation – big thanks to their trade teachers – it was wonderful catching up with everyone at Bendigo and a real honour talking to the apprentices about all things asbestos. We wish all the apprentices our very best wishes in their future chosen trades

This first week in May 2018 the Asbestos Council of Victoria/GARDS team were at Monash University Gippsland talking to 1st year medical students, 107 of them about asbestos disease & the impact it has on the sufferer & family and the wider community – great bunch of students – terrific questions & interaction – as you can see by the tee-shirts on the students we are all celebrating our 10 year anniversary – the ACV/GARDS team have met many 100’s of students over the 10 years and we hope that we have left them with something to think about and a clearer view on the issues and the hurdles our sufferers and their families face every day. We want to thank very much – Rhonda Dunn, Sharyn Fenech, Brian & Karen Healy, Dorothy Roberts, Marie Smith and of course Vicki Hamilton for all their knowledge and experience around the issues and sharing that with the students. It was an honour and privilege to meet all of the students. We wish them all the best in their chosen profession into the future – they will all make fantastic caring Doctors. Pictured below are some of the 107 students with their 10 year tee-shirts proudly displayed. And our team of knowledge. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2/5/2018 we were honoured to have visit from @apheda at our ACV/GARDS office with the Indonesian ban asbestos campaigners for 2018 tour – Darisman & Subono along with Sam, Mary-Beth & Tom – it was a pleasure to meet and talk with them about asbestos issues and advocacy – We had in depth discussions with translation from Darisman to Subono about the issues in their country and some of the issues we have had in Australia and are still experiencing, even after banning asbestos in our country in 2003. It was wonderful having them with us for a few hours and to get to know them. We also were privileged to have Dinushi & Padmesh two of our four 1st year medical students from Monash University with us for the APHEDA visit who are volunteering their time at the office and learning so much. All our visitors were treated to a great Aussie morning tea – the unionist all set off to meet up with the #gippstlc and head for a snag on the BBQ at Longford? – travel safe

 

 

Good to see that we have action being taken on tradies who are not who they say they are. It is most important that people who are trying to engage a trade person know that they are qualified and capable to do the job. Please read below News.com.au story on the App Airtasker 

FREELANCE jobs app AirTasker has introduced new measures after backlash over “cowboy tradies” accepting jobs on the platform in breach of safety and licensing laws, potentially putting themselves and others at risk.

 

http://www.news.com.au/technology/online/concerns-over-cowboy-tradies-pushes-airtasker-to-adapt/news-story/d37818ec5599712a5b2fc16938f91df6