Magic Mineral to Killer Dust

Asbestos was once known as the "magic mineral" because of its ability to withstand flames. Yet since the 1970s, it has become a notorious and feared "killer dust", responsible for thousands of deaths and an epidemic that will continue for years to come, and the subject of many legal battles.

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Asbestos was once known as the 'magic mineral' because of its ability to withstand flames. Yet since the 1960s, it has become a notorious and feared 'killer dust' that is responsible for thousands of deaths and an epidemic that will continue into the millennium. This is the first comprehensive history of the UK asbestos health problem, which provides an in-depth look at the occupational health experience of one of the world's leading asbestos companies - British asbestos giant, Turner and Newall. Based on a vast company archive recently released in American litigation, Magic Mineral to Killer Dust gives an unprecedented insight into all aspects of the asbestos hazard - dust control, workmen's compensation, government regulation, and the development of medical knowledge. In particular, it looks at the role of industrialists, doctors, factory inspectors, and trade unionists, highlighting the failures in regulation that accompanied the commercial development of a material that was already known to be lethal at the start of the twentieth century.