''Killer Company: James Hardie Exposed'' is a 2009 Australian book by journalist Matt Peacock.

Overview

The book documents how the use of harmful asbestos fibre in building materials produced by

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. ...

"led to the deaths of thousands of workers and customers, who were never informed of the dangers". Working with asbestos products, such as "

fibro Asbestos cement, genericized as fibro, fibrolite (short for "fibrous (or fibre) cement sheet") or AC sheet, is a building material in which asbestos fibres are used to reinforce thin rigid cement sheets. Although invented at the end of the 19t ...

", resulted in medical abnormalities, such as

asbestosis Asbestosis is long-term inflammation and scarring of the lungs due to asbestos fibers. Symptoms may include shortness of breath, cough, wheezing, and chest tightness. Complications may include lung cancer, mesothelioma, and pulmonary heart d ...

. The book opens with the story of

Bernie Banton Bernard Douglas Banton AM (13 October 1946 – 27 November 2007) was an Australian social justice campaigner. He was the widely recognized face of the legal and political campaign to achieve compensation for the many sufferers of asbestos-relat ...

, former James Hardie employee, who suffered from asbestos-induced

fibrosis Fibrosis, also known as fibrotic scarring, is a pathological wound healing in which connective tissue replaces normal parenchymal tissue to the extent that it goes unchecked, leading to considerable tissue remodelling and the formation of perma ...

and later died.Angela Welsh
Review: Killer Company
''The Walkley Foundation'', 27 October 2009. According to Peacock, James Hardie Industries circumvented the rules and regulations designed to protect the community from serious health hazards. Peacock states that "Hardie embarked on a cold, calculated strategy to maximise profits, minimise compensation and conceal the culprits".

Awards and legacy

''Killer Company'' was a finalist for the

Walkley Walkley is a suburb of Sheffield, England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwe ...

non-fiction book of the year in 2009. ''

Devil's Dust ''Devil's Dust'' is a two-part Australian television docu-drama mini-series on the ABC which first screened in 2012. Based on journalist Matt Peacock's 2009 book '' Killer Company'', ''Devil's Dust'' was researched and developed by producer S ...

'', a docudrama based on ''Killer Company'', was released in 2012, with

Ewen Leslie Ewen Leslie (born 27 July 1980) is an Australian stage, film and television actor. Career Theatre His first work on Sydney stages was performing at the Old Fitzroy Hotel theatre in Woolloomooloo. In 2007 he was cast by Philip Seymour Hoffma ...

portraying Peacock.

References

Australian non-fiction books 2009 non-fiction books 2009 in the environment Environmental non-fiction books Books about multinational companies Asbestos {{environment-book-stub