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Research the case of Bernie Banton and James Hardie. Mr Banton was exposed to asbestos while an employee of James
Hardie. He died from mesothelioma in 2007. Mesothelioma is a rare cancer caused by asbestos exposure. There are two
parts to the case. First is the allegation that James Hardie knowingly exposed employees to the deadly fibres of asbestos
and did little about the risk. Second is the company’s refusal to fully compensate and provide for its victims. In Australia
alone, more than 10,000 people have succumbed to the disease since the early 1980s. According to cancer experts, an
additional 25,000 Australians are expected to die from it over the next four decades (it is estimated that as many as 43,000
people around the world die annually from mesothelioma).
