Asbestos – banned, how to reduce future risks

Lars Vedsmand, EFBWW/Danish Constr. Workers

About me

• 30 years experience with asbestos

– Compensation cases insulation workers

– Bulding cooperation victims, trade unions, psycisians and OCC Health clinics

– Guidelines and regulatory work nationally, EU and global (ILO)

– EFBWW asbestos action plan

Overview

• Can we learn from history?

• Didn’t we solve the problem in the 80’es?

• What brings the future?

Why still focus?

• ALL types and forms of asbestos are dangerous:

– Asbestosis

– Lung cancers

– Mesotheliomas

– Other cancers

• Known and documented for 30-70 years

Why still focus?

• Several MS had restrictions and bans since 1970’es and 80’es, ongoing until 2005

• 30 years of political and technical negociations before the ban as well as a Berlaymont building…

• EU has a ban with still few excemptions and a directive, providing regulation for safe work procedures

Asbestos remains a deadly material

• Present in many ships, trains and not the least buildings throughout EU

• Indeed, asbestos may be found particularly in many public and private buildings, where its presence is often unknown.

The time factor

• Even with a ban, time is working against a safe removal of all existing asbestos. People who installed it and know how to identify asbestos-containing materials in buildings are retiring from the construction sector. Newer generations do not have any experience with the old materials they can find when doing maintenance or demolition. You can meet asbestos in 3 ways: – intentionally (Asbestos removing companies,

or well-known asbestos removal projects) as well as

– unintentionally, i.e. those professions carrying out maintenance activities in buildings; those who are running repair or renovation activities (electricians, heating engineers, carpenters and fitters or plumbers); demolition workers or also people in the recycling sector.

– By indirect exposure (indoor climate, outdoor contamination near asbestos facilities)

Asbestos – an ongoing problem

• BAN – yes but still millions of tonnes

• Time working against us

• Break the curve of diseases: Even if no exposure from today, still ARD in 2060

• Lower exposures prolonged latency times ?

• Safer removal

27-06-2012 Asbestos seminar information modules

3 ways of meeting asbestos

• The known project: Decision of removing asbestos – Specific Training – Certification or pre-

qualification – Proving employees have been

trained

• Asbestos in vocational training • Great national differencies • Leaving solely for professional

asbestos-removal companies ? • Using reference projects from

approved companies • Linked in Asbestos

Professsionals

• The grey zone: Where you may meet asbestos unintended – Refurbishment and repair – Modernisation – Building service work – Demolition – Waste treatment

• Indoor climate and neighbour exposure

27-06-2012 Asbestos seminar information modules

EP

• Statement from EP: • ”36. Considers that the health problems related to exposure

to asbestos are well known and that the European regulation on asbestos is adequate; underlines the fact that asbestos-initiated diseases in Europe are forecasted to be very high for many years ahead; – therefore calls on the Commission to organise a hearing on how to

tackle the huge OHS problems related to existing asbestos in buildings and other constructions such as ships, trains and machinery;

– also calls on Member States to draw up national action plans on phasing out asbestos, including obligations to map asbestos in buildings and provide for the safe removal of asbestos;”

• This has not yet been taken care of...

Possible other need for awareness

• Ordinary vocational training

– Plumbers

– Carpenters

– Electricians

– Demolition workers

– Maintenance workers?

Asbestos seminar information modules 27-06-2012

Project: Information Modules

• Aimed at feasible fact-sheets for ”non-asbestos” workers but also targeting house owners, self employed people and do-it-yourself-markets

– Younger generations are not aware of how asbestos

was used and installed

– important to draw the attention of companies and workers on this problem and to provide them with the appropriate tools and information, in order to allow them to operate in the safest possible environment.

Possible other need for awareness

• Building professionals and inspectors, housing companies:

– Where may ACM be found?

– What does is look like?

– Importance of history of the building

• Safety coordinators

Asbestos seminar information modules 27-06-2012

Possible other need for awareness

• Labour Inspectors: – Regulation – Where can it be found? – Is it handled safely?

” Labour inspectorates need support and training Prevention of asbestos-related health hazards can’t be managed by labour inspectorates alone. It requires commitment by all players in this field. Information and training of inspectors, social partners and experts would help to build commitment. Evaluations also reveal a great need for training and information of all parties involved in asbestos-related work, including inspectorates”

Bilbao Agency, summary of SLIC 2006 Asbestos Campaign

Asbestos seminar information modules 27-06-2012

What is needed in near future

• Registration

• Mapping

• Training

• Asbestosfree memberstates– EU – steps in a global direction.

Mapping

• Where asbestos – building types, typical uses

– Where has it been removed

– Where has it been encapsulated

– Where is it still present

Registration

• Eksisting untouched asbestos

– Insulation in basements etc from before banning year

• Sealed and encapsulated asbestos

– Periodic control of effect

• Removed asbestos

• Aim: Get rid of suspisions and unsafety in refurbishing work

• Method: Public accesible database with continous reporting

Other elements

• EP INI report may have focus on: – Screening and registration of asbestos – Ensuring qualifications and training – Development of removal programmes – Criteria for Recognition of Asbestos-related Diseases – Support for Asbestos Victims’ Groups – No exporting of asbestos waste into developing

countries – Strategies for global ban of asbestos

• There are many jobs as well in safe removal of existing asbestos