The Supreme Court, in a recent ruling that awarded state compensation to health problems suffered by former employees at asbestos mills in Osaka Prefecture, has made it clear that the government — with its regulatory powers — is responsible for ensuring the safety and health of workers at industrial sites. Since it takes decades for symptoms to emerge in patients after they have inhaled asbestos dust, the scope of health damage might expand beyond the people who have so far taken legal actions to seek compensation. The government needs to take the top court decision seriously and move quickly to offer financial help to the victims, many of whom are already advanced in age.

The Supreme Court ruled Oct. 9 that the state failed to take regulatory steps fast enough to prevent health damage to the workers, who eventually developed lung cancer and mesothelioma after being exposed to asbestos dust while working at the mills in the prefecture's Sennan area. The court ordered the government to pay a total of ¥330 million in compensation to 30 former workers and their deceased relatives, while sending the cases of 22 others back to the Osaka High Court.

Due to its fire resistance, its durability and its low cost, asbestos was widely used in construction materials and as a heat insulator during Japan's postwar period of rapid growth. Yet the health risks posed by inhaling the mineral's extremely thin fibers was known from early on. By the late 1950s, surveys commissioned by the health ministry showed that workers at asbestos mills face a grave risk of serious lung illnesses.