When did James Hardie stop making asbestos products?
In the 1980s James Hardie began making compensation payments to some workers, then in 1987 it ceased all production of asbestos products. As the number of asbestos-related illnesses and deaths increased in the 1990s, James Hardie commissioned an investigation to find out how much compensation would be required.
Who was the leading manufacturer of asbestos in Australia?
James Hardie Of all the names linked with the history of asbestos in Australia, that of James Hardie stands out. This was the manufacturing company which dominated the market for asbestos products during the decades following the Second World War.
What happened to James Hardie in the 1960s?
At the same time, James Hardie’s asbestos-cement pipes and asbestos lagging were woven through the industrial landscape. But the boom years of the 1960s-1970s were overtaken by intimations of doom as the company found it harder and harder to ignore the warnings about the danger of asbestos to human health.
Why is the Australian government pursuing legal action against James Hardie?
The Australian government is pursuing legal avenues to bring to financial accountability giant asbestos manufacturer James Hardie Ltd., which has been responsible for vast numbers of asbestos-related deaths and illnesses in Australia and other countries, and has been attempting by unethical and possibly criminal ploys to avoid compensating victims.
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When did James Hardie stop making asbestos?
March 1987In March 1987 James Hardie ceased all asbestos manufacturing activities. As concern grew about the serious adverse health effects of asbestos, in the mid-1980s James Hardie developed an asbestos-free fibre cement technology, without the dangers associated with asbestos.
Does Hardie backer board contain asbestos?
HardieBacker cement board does not contain asbestos, gypsum, glass fiber, or added formaldehyde.
Is James Hardie made in Australia?
Using the technical and manufacturing expertise it developed in Australia, James Hardie expanded its operations, in particular to the US, to become a leading, specialised manufacturer of a wide range of fibre cement building materials.
Is James Hardie going out of business?
In response to supply and demand in the North American market, James Hardie is closing its manufacturing plant in Summerville, S.C. Additionally, plans for a new plant in Prattville, Ala. have been pushed back until 2022. In New Zealand, James Hardie said that it will shut down all manufacturing.
Is Hardie board cancerous?
Cutting fiber cement siding generates respirable crystalline silica, a known human carcinogen. Inhaling too much silica can lead to silicosis, lung cancer, and COPD.
Is Hardie board toxic?
Are James Hardie fiber cement products safe to put on homes? Yes. There is insignificant dust generated from fiber cement once it's installed on the home.
Is James Hardie cladding safe?
A FIRE SAFE, COMPLIANT, DEEMED-TO-SATISFY FAÇADE SOLUTION FROM JAMES HARDIE. The James Hardie façade solution, not only ticks the boxes as a NCC Deemed-to-Satisfy solution but it has also been extensively tested at James Hardie's state-of-the-art R&D facility and other accredited laboratories.
How long does James Hardie board last?
50 yearsWith the proper care, your James Hardie fiber cement siding will outlast its 30-year warranty. It can even last up to 50 years if cared for properly.
What voids James Hardie warranty?
#3: Neglect or Abuse You may not file a claim on your James Hardie fiber cement siding warranty if you: Damage the siding with tools (e.g. hammering nails into it) Misuse the siding (e.g. hanging heavy objects from it) Make repairs to the siding yourself.
What are the problems with Hardie board?
Fiber cement siding is a hard, brittle product. One of the worst problems with Hardie siding is moisture damaged which can be caused by cracking. Water will run down from this sill, absorb into the siding, get behind into the sheathing and possibly the frame, causing all sorts of eventual problems.
Is Hardie board discontinued?
In August of 2021, suppliers and contractors were notified that James Hardie Building Products is intending to permanently stop manufacturing all Hardie Trim products for select markets. This decision will affect all markets in western Canada, as well as some in the west United States.
Does Hardie board have a lifetime warranty?
Since Hardie siding is exceptionally long-lasting and weather-resistant, it is backed with a 30-year limited warranty.
What is Hardie backer board made of?
Backer cement boardHardie® Backer cement board is a tile underlayment made to use on walls, with floors and countertops. Works as a tile backerboard and as an underlayment for tile, vinyl and wood flooring. 0.42" cement board is made of 90% Portland cement and sand, resists damage from moisture and provides excellent tile adhesion.
What's Hardie board made out of?
Hardie Board siding is a super durable siding product from the James Hardie company that looks amazing, is long-lasting, and comes with a fabulous warranty. It's made of cement, sand, and cellulose fibers which combine to create an outstanding material to both protect and beautify homes.
Does cement board siding have asbestos?
Fiber cement siding used to contain asbestos, a naturally occurring mineral, for reinforcement. Asbestos, however, was later replaced by cellulose, a harmless material that makes wood rigid.
What are the problems with Hardie board?
Fiber cement siding is a hard, brittle product. One of the worst problems with Hardie siding is moisture damaged which can be caused by cracking. Water will run down from this sill, absorb into the siding, get behind into the sheathing and possibly the frame, causing all sorts of eventual problems.
What was the Jackson inquiry?
The subsequent judicial in quiry in NSW in 2004, the Jackson Inquiry, was critical of James Hardie’s actions and, after great public and government pressure, the company was forced to finalise a new compensation deal. The Carr government in NSW used Greg Combet as the lead negotiator with the company to secure the agreement but it took until 2007 for that agreement to be reached. In the end James Hardie guaranteed a fund of $4 billion to cover its future obligations to asbestos victims.
How much money did the MRCF fund?
In 2001 the company established the Medical Research and Compensation Foundation (MRCF) with a total of $293 million dollars in funds, saying that this fund would be able to meet all the future asbestos claims.
When did Turner James Hardie quit?
The Sydney law firm Turner James Hardie had quit its manufacture of asbestos products in the early 1980s and attempted to leave its asbestos past behind.
Who took James Hardie to court?
Two Perth home handymen, David Hannell and Dennis Moss, both suffering from mesothelioma and represented by Slater & Gordon, took James Hardie to court for the lethal low-level exposure to asbestos in their homes.
Where did James Hardie relocate?
James Hardie then relocated its company off-shore in Holland leaving behind the compensation fund, which was found to have a massive financial shortfall. The subsequent judicial inquiry in NSW in 2004, the Jackson Inquiry, was critical of James Hardie’s actions and, after great public and government pressure, the company was forced ...
Who was the lead negotiator for the asbestos agreement?
The Carr government in NSW used Greg Combet as the lead negotiator with the company to secure the agreement but it took until 2007 for that agreement to be reached. In the end James Hardie guaranteed a fund of $4 billion to cover its future obligations to asbestos victims.
Did Bernie Banton die in the asbestos case?
Throughout the saga, Bernie Banton was the public face of victims and was active in all the battles. Like so many victims of asbestos related disease, he died before his time. The legal struggle is still not completely over, however, as cases are still being fought out in courts.
The history of asbestos: Wittenoom mine
Known as ‘Australia’s Chernobyl’, Wittenoom was the largest asbestos mine in Australia and the only supplier of blue asbestos – which we know now is the most dangerous kind of asbestos. Now a ghost town, Wittenoom was a mecca for asbestos use, with reports that the town was completely blanketed with the dust.
James Hardie Asbestos history
Aside from the tragedy at Wittenoom, one of the biggest names associated with prolific asbestos use is James Hardie. It’s reported that the construction manufacturer had moved to Melbourne in 1888, where he originally established a leather tanning business.
The decline of asbestos
The use of asbestos began to decline in the 1980s and all importation and exportation were phased out by 2003. Despite the dangers of asbestos being known as early as the 1960s, it was still used in construction materials for decades before the complete ban was made.
What is asbestos used for?
Asbestos was used as insulation in fireplaces, stoves, furnaces and other areas that produce great heat. More notably, asbestos was woven into timber composites and cement sheeting that was used to line walls and ceilings in buildings, making them more resistant to fire.
What did the bosses give the victims of the Wittenoom mine?
For Christmas, their bosses gave them a bottle of beer. Since the late 1980s CSR has paid out millions of dollars to the victims of the Wittenoom mine, following a court ruling that the company had acted with a reckless disregard for its employees’ safety.
What is the most notable feature of asbestos?
Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that has been mined and used commercially for centuries. The most notable feature of asbestos is that it does not burn and is resistant to flames, electrical and chemical damage.
How many people lived in Wittenoom in the 1960s?
During the 1960s about 20,000 people lived in Wittenoom, producing more than 160,000 tonnes of blue asbestos. Most of the miners were immigrants, working for low pay and in appalling conditions (as observed in the lyrics of the Midnight Oil song Blue Sky Mine ).
When did James Hardie start labeling asbestos?
James Hardie became aware of asbestos-related health problems among its employees as early as the 1960s. In 1978 the company began labeling products with warning stickers, informing handlers that dust from the products may cause cancer.
Is asbestos a crystalline substance?
Asbestos is a crystalline substance that produce s invisible fibres. When these fibres are inhaled they lodge in the lungs. Small amounts of inhaled asbestos fibres generally cause no health problems, however exposure to the fibres over a prolonged period – such as in the workplace – increases health risks significantly.
Who was Tim Lacone?
Tim Lacone was an inventor who contract ed mesothelioma after building a fernery and greenhouse with asbestos-bearing products in the 1970s. Given months to live, he was awarded $2.75 million in an out-of-court settlement. He likened James Hardie to a “hit-and-run driver” for shifting its main operation to the Netherlands when asbestos claims began to escalate.
Why did James Hardie return to marketing?
A decade ago building supplies firm James Hardie was arguably the most hated brand in Australia, engulfed in litigation around its asbestos products causing the deaths of workers.
What did O'Neil say about Hardie products?
O’Neil said in looking at building products, people were seeing things they liked for their own homes in Hardie products and the positive sentiments of the products were replacing the negative sentiments that had surrounded the brand in the past.
How many followers does Hardie's have on Pinterest?
From having no followers on Pinterest nine months ago, Hardie’s now has more than 10,000 for its Scyon page and is growing at a rate of 200 per week, while Instagram has grown from zero nine months ago to more than 14,000 for its Scyon page. The brand is even claiming higher engagement levels than Taylor Swift.
When did asbestos scandal break?
He said the suffering and grief the victims of dust-borne diseases had experienced since the scandal over asbestos first broke in the 1980s could never be underplayed, but the time had come to bring the brand back to market.
Does Hardies want to be the brand?
And he wants Hardies to be the brand they do it with.
Does Hardie's use social media?
O’Neil: Hardie’s will use social to allow customers to tell their stories. Speaking exclusively to Mumbrella, O’Neil said the time has come to support the brand again and tap into the goodwill that builders and home renovators had for its products, despite the long-term impact of the asbestos crisis. ADVERTISEMENT.
Who was the campaigner for the asbestos crisis?
In 2012 the asbestos saga was the feature of a two-part ABC mini-series, Devil’s Dust, which followed the lives of four people affected by the asbestos crisis including campaigner Bernie Banton who campaigned for years to get compensation for victims of diseases who had worked with asbestos materials.
How much was James Hardie's asbestos liability?
Shortly after the move, an actuarial report found that James Hardie asbestos liabilities were likely to reach $574 million. The MRCF sought extra funding from James Hardie and was offered $18 million in assets, an offer the MRCF rejected.
What was the result of the James Hardie inquiry?
Amongst other findings, it found that the actuarial reports commissioned by James Hardie which estimated liabilities at $286 million were inadequate because they used a financial model which made unfounded predictions on the value of investments held by Amaca and Amaba, the figures were subject to numerous unspecified conditions and they did not account for the effect of separating Amaca and Amaba from James Hardie. However, the inquiry found that James Hardie was under no legal obligation to provide compensation. Despite this finding, there was immense political and social pressure on James Hardie to negotiate a compensation deal; governments were boycotting James Hardie products and unions were threatening to instigate a global union movement against the company based on refusing to handle James Hardie products.
How much did James Hardie claim in taxes?
Also in 2009, the US Internal Revenue Service alleged that James Hardie had not been in compliance with the US-Dutch treaty since it had been implemented in 2006 and claimed $US37 million in unpaid taxes plus $US10 million in interest and penalties.
How much did the Australian tax return cost in 2009?
While the move to the Netherlands resulted in tax savings of $86 million over seven years, in 2009 the Australian Taxation Office issued an amended assessment for $172 million plus interest and penalties. James Hardie successfully appealed the assessment.
What happened to Harditex in 2021?
In 2021, James Hardie was vindicated after a New Zealand court dismissed a lawsuit claiming Harditex cladding caused weathertightness problems in New Zealand homes. The judge found that bad building methods rather than James Hardie products caused the problems.
When did asbestos affect the mine workers?
In 1978 the effects of pleural abnormalities and other asbestos -related diseases were beginning to show up in the former mine workers. While other companies were involved in similar asbestos-related activities, most notably CSR, more than 50% of claims made to the Dust Diseases Tribunal of New South Wales in 2002 were brought against companies in the James Hardie group.
Where is James Hardie Industries?
James Hardie Industries plc is a global building materials company and the largest global manufacturer of fibre cement products. Headquartered in Ireland, it is a dual-listed company, being listed on the Australian and New York Stock Exchanges. Its management team currently sits in Chicago, Illinois, United States.