Eighteen former miners who all claim to suffer from work-related respiratory illnesses will join four of their colleagues in a civil suit against Anglo American this week. The case could lay the basis for a massive class-action suit against mining houses. The miners were all employed at Anglo American's President Steyn mine...between 1960 and 1980...In court papers...the miners claim that their employer put their lives at risk by failing to provide them with sufficient dust masks or alternative prophylactic devices to prevent the inhalation of silica dust in the course of mining operations...Anglo American spokesman Pranill Ramchander said:.."Anglo American denies that it is liable to any of the claimants and is defending the claims."