Mesothelioma in South Africa: Compensation, Challenges, and Prevention

The Harsh Reality: No Compensation for Environmental Mesothelioma

If you’ve developed mesothelioma due to environmental exposure to asbestos in South Africa, brace yourself: there’s no formal financial compensation system in place. Unlike occupational mesothelioma—where some form of compensation exists—those exposed simply by living near mines, asbestos mills, or contaminated dumps are left without support.

How Did This Happen?

Over the years, activists, scientists, and even some government officials have called for the creation of an environmental asbestos exposure fund. However, no actual progress has been made. Victims and their families continue to struggle without any financial relief.

Why? Some key reasons include:

• Lack of government initiative: The Department of Health has floated the idea of a compensation fund, but so far, it has remained just that—an idea.
• Legal roadblocks: Unlike in countries such as the United States or Australia, where lawsuits have secured major payouts for asbestos victims, South Africa has seen almost no successful civil claims for environmental exposure cases.
• Industry pressure: The asbestos industry historically downplayed risks, making it difficult for affected individuals to seek justice or financial support.

But things might be changing.

A Shift in Legal Action?

While legal action for personal injury damages due to asbestos exposure hasn’t been a strong feature in South Africa’s past, the landscape may be shifting.

• More awareness: With growing documentation of mesothelioma cases linked to environmental exposure, pressure is mounting on both the government and corporations to acknowledge responsibility.
• International precedent: Countries such as the UK and Australia have seen major lawsuits result in compensation for environmental exposure cases. If similar claims gain traction in South Africa, there could be a legal breakthrough for victims.

For now, however, the hard truth remains: if your mesothelioma wasn’t caused by direct occupational exposure, you’re on your own financially.

Preventing Occupational Mesothelioma: Progress, But Still a Long Road Ahead

Let’s talk about the industries that put workers at risk.

The South African Asbestos Regulations: A Step in the Right Direction

Since 1987, South Africa has had Asbestos Regulations in place under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. Some key points:

• Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL): Initially set at 1 fiber per milliliter (f/mL) for all asbestos types.
• Action Exposure Limit (AEL): 0.5 f/mL, meaning that any exposure above this requires immediate corrective measures.
• Major substitution efforts: Many industries started phasing out amphibole asbestos (the most dangerous types like crocidolite and amosite).

These regulations were much-needed because, historically, asbestos exposure in South African mines was extreme.

A Look at the Past:

• In 1945, surface asbestos dust levels reached 30–160 f/mL (far beyond safe levels).
• By 1970, they had dropped slightly to 8–30 f/mL, but were still dangerously high.
• The 1984 standard set a 2 f/mL limit, and later, 1 f/mL in 2001.

What’s Changed in the Workplace?

Today, many asbestos-related jobs have disappeared. But new risks have emerged.

• Steam locomotives are gone: This was a huge occupational hazard in the past, but they’ve been replaced by safer alternatives.
• Asbestos cement industry reformed: Until the mid-1980s, crocidolite (blue asbestos) was heavily used. Now, there’s been a shift toward chrysotile (white asbestos), which is slightly less dangerous.
• Asbestos removal is the new hazard: The biggest modern risk isn’t mining—it’s removing old asbestos insulation from buildings, steam pipes, and boilers. If done improperly, this can be just as deadly as direct mining exposure.

The Danger of Asbestos Removal

One big concern today is that unregulated contractors hire untrained, daily-wage workers to remove asbestos-containing materials without proper safety measures. This is a massive health risk, and the current regulations may not be strong enough to protect these workers.

Bottom line? The fight against asbestos isn’t over—it’s just changed.

The Asbestos Industry’s Reluctance to Change

For decades, asbestos companies fought tooth and nail to deny the connection between their product and mesothelioma.

One example? At the 1969 Pneumoconiosis Conference, an asbestos company executive claimed:

“The industry’s engineers are still reluctant to agree with the alleged relationship between asbestos dust (principally crocidolite dust) and mesothelioma.”

Yes, even as scientific evidence piled up, the industry continued to argue against stricter regulations.

The result? South Africa lagged behind Europe and North America in setting workplace safety standards. While other countries banned asbestos imports, South Africa continued crocidolite mining into the 1990s!

Lessons Learned and Future Challenges

The story of asbestos in South Africa is one of missed opportunities, corporate cover-ups, and slow government response. While progress has been made in banning mining and limiting asbestos use, the devastating health impact continues.

What Needs to Happen Next?

1. A proper compensation fund for environmental victims. Thousands of people were unknowingly exposed—many as children. They deserve financial support.
2. Stronger enforcement of asbestos removal regulations. The biggest risk now is improper removal of old asbestos materials.
3. More medical research and mesothelioma tracking. We still don’t have a full picture of how many cases exist—especially among migrant workers who returned to rural areas.
4. Legal accountability. Corporations that profited from asbestos exposure should be held responsible for compensation.

The legacy of asbestos exposure in South Africa isn’t just history—it’s an ongoing battle. There’s a lot of work left to do, but awareness and action can help prevent future tragedies.