Terry Miller, 64, who has spent seven years supporting other asbestos victims, said there was a new generation of sufferers in their 40s dying from mesothelioma, the lethal and extremely painful asbestos-related lung cancer.

He has also watched a 48-year-old father of two, an electrician exposed to asbestos from the houses he worked on, die in agony; likewise a 52-year-old former school teacher, who died after she was exposed to asbestos during school renovations. “Had Hardies made it known when they knew, that this product could be dangerous, and they have known asbestos could kill you since the 1940s, then maybe these people would still be alive,” he said. “Maybe their kids would still have a mum or a dad. It is heartbreaking. It tears you up.”

ASIC is launching civil legal action against former and current James Hardie Industries directors and the company’s chairman for allegedly misleading investors over its compensation payouts for asbestos victims

ASBESTOS victims described yesterday’s legal action against the directors and officers of James Hardie Industries as too little, too late.

Terry Miller, 64, who has spent seven years supporting other asbestos victims, said there was a new generation of sufferers in their 40s dying from mesothelioma, the lethal and extremely painful asbestos-related lung cancer.

He was diagnosed five years ago with asbestosis, scarring of the lung tissue as a result of contact with asbestos fibres.

Mr Miller, who faces a shortened life as a result of his 20 years with the company, said the emotional difficulty of his situation was compounded by his work for the Asbestos Victims Association of SA helping men and women in the final year of their lives.

His wife, Margaret, died nine years ago from a lung-related illness. With many women contracting diseases from the dust off their husband’s clothes, he now believes her death may well have been related to his employment.

Doctors rarely give mesothelioma victims more than a year to live.

“I would like some of these Hardie directors to see the extreme pain, the rapid weight loss, the devastation it causes the families,” he said.

Mr Miller worked at the James Hardie Pipe Factory at Elizabeth, on the outskirts of Adelaide, manufacturing “fibrolite” pipes — a mixture of asbestos and cement widely used by government and industry alike.

He said that not once during the 20 years he worked for Hardie were the employees officially told of the health risks of asbestos.

But it is not for himself that he feels the most pain.

Already this year, he has watched a 47-year-old woman with three children die a week after her birthday. She was exposed to asbestos as a child when her parents did renovations on their farm.

He has also watched a 48-year-old father of two, an electrician exposed to asbestos from the houses he worked on, die in agony; likewise a 52-year-old former school teacher, who died after she was exposed to asbestos during school renovations. “Had Hardies made it known when they knew, that this product could be dangerous, and they have known asbestos could kill you since the 1940s, then maybe these people would still be alive,” he said. “Maybe their kids would still have a mum or a dad. It is heartbreaking. It tears you up.”

CIVIL CLAIMS

ASIC is launching civil legal action against former and current James Hardie Industries directors and the company’s chairman for allegedly misleading investors over its compensation payouts for asbestos victims

Meredith Hellicar

* The Hardies chairman faces two breach-of-duty charges relating to a market announcement and an information memorandum

Michael Brown

* Director facing the same breach-of-duty charges as Hellicar

Michael Gillfillan

* ASIC believes the US resident and long-serving director breached his corporate duty twice

Peter Macdonald

* Resigned as CEO in 2004; now faces five breach-of-duty charges

Peter Shafron

* ASIC claims the company’s former legal counsel breached his duty three times

Phillip Morley

* Former chief financial officer faces two breach-of-duty claims

Peter Willcox

* Former Hardie director who stood aside as CSIRO chairman yesterday to fight two breach-of-duty charges

Greg Terry, Dan O’Brien and Martin Koffel

* Former directors Terry and O’Brien face one charge each of breaching their corporate duty while Koffel faces two charges

Meredith Hellicar

* The Hardies chairman faces two breach-of-duty charges relating to a market announcement and an information memorandum

Michael Brown

* Director facing the same breach-of-duty charges as Hellicar

Michael Gillfillan

* ASIC believes the US resident and long-serving director breached his corporate duty twice

Peter Macdonald

* Resigned as CEO in 2004; now faces five breach-of-duty charges

Peter Shafron

* ASIC claims the company’s former legal counsel breached his duty three times

Phillip Morley

* Former chief financial

Sources: ASIC, staff reporters