SPOORNET HAS reacted fast to recent measures taken by the department of labour to asbestos fibre spillage at three of its Durban marshalling and shunting yards. These include Kings Rest.
This was a result of many years of contamination caused by asbestos spillage from trains using the yards. More than 40 tons of soil and ballast along the tracks is thought to have been affected and had to be removed. Spoornet awarded two contracts worth R1,5 million to a Durban company to have the areas cleaned up.
The discovery followed an inspection of the area by the department's health and safety inspectors. A spokesman for the department said that it was likely that several hundred workers were exposed to the asbestos fibres and dust over a long period. Exposure to asbestos leads to lung tissue scarring and asbestosis, which was decribed by a medical expert as a form of lung cancer.
It is understood that an inspection of the entire rail route from the mines will now be necessary. At present asbestos for export is railed in heavy-duty plastic bags loaded into rail trucks. These bags suffer occasional damage while in transit and from thieves who think they might contain foodstuffs.
A spokesman for Spoornet said they would now investigate transporting the mineral from the mines already packed in containers. In the meantime FTW has learned that a privately operated bulk terminal near Kings Rest has a contract to repack bagged asbestos into containers for export, rendering it suitable for shipment. This process has been in operation for some time.
By Terry Hutson
