Thailand Health Commission To Seek Govt Ban On Asbestos Use, Products

[webfact]

Health commission to seek govt ban on asbestos use, products

By Pongphon Sarnsamak

The Nation

The National Health Commission (NHC) will today ask Cabinet to ban all use of asbestos and the extraction, manufacture and processing of asbestos products.

The decision follows the discovery that thousands of workers are at risk in the workplace from the inhalation of asbestos fibre that can cause serious illness.

The ban will also prohibit manufacturers from importing asbestos fibre and products for use by industries like textiles, friction products, insulation and other building materials, automotive brakes and clutches.

Additionally, NHC will ask the Industry Ministry to issue its ministerial announcement to list asbestos fibre chrysotile as a "hazardous material type 4" this year, enforcing the ban on all manufacturers from using and importing asbestos.

Under the ban, the government will give the private sector and state agencies two years to stop using asbestos and change to non-asbestos material.

"Thailand must move to a non-asbestos organic society by the year 2012 [and] all asbestos must be totally banned in Thailand," NHC's secretary-general Dr Amphon Jindawattana said.

Asbestos is now internationally recognised as a health hazard and is highly regulated. It is used in the manufacture of products like textiles, friction products, insulation and other building materials, automotive brakes and clutches

Asbestos has been imported into Thailand at the rate of over 100,000 tonnes a year and has been widely used in the construction industry for 30 years. Up to 50 countries, including Japan and Singapore, have already banned it.

Thailand remains among the world's top importers of the killer. Every year about 2 million tonnes of asbestos are mined. Russia is the largest producer followed by China and Kazakhstan.

Asbestos exposure becomes a health concern when high concentrations of the fibre are inhaled to cause lung, abdomen and heart lining cancers. The symptoms often do not develop until long after exposure. People who become ill from it are often exposed on a day-to-day basis in a job where they work directly with the material, but they can also contract it from exposure to materials in their homes.

The National Health Commission estimated that the number of Thai lung cancer patients caused by asbestos will rise to 1,295 cases a year.

Somsri Suwanjaras of the Industry Ministry's hazardous substances control bureau said the ministry will ban the use and import of asbestos fibre.

"[it] will cause severe impact on several sectors especially the aeroplane and truck brake industry as there are [as yet] no replacement materials," she said.

Somsri said under the 1992 Factory Act's article 32, the ministry had not allowed asbestos manufacturers to extend their production.

Moreover, the ministry has listed chrysotile asbestos as a "hazardous material type 3" for which prior permission is needed before it can be used by any business for production, importing, exporting or keeping in warehouses.

However, the ministry will inform asbestos manufacturers and importers about the regulations controlling the use of asbestos in industry.

To date two manufacturers who produce roof tiles have stopped using asbestos in their products.

-- The Nation 2011-04-12

[geriatrickid]

The catch will be the safe removal and disposal of asbestos products. It's not as if Thailand can follow the European example of shipping dangerous waste off to Africa or Bangladesh.

<deleted>?????

"[it] will cause severe impact on several sectors especially the aeroplane and truck brake industry as there are [as yet] no replacement materials," she said.

Maybe she should check some North American and European vehicles. They are now built with asbestos free brake pads. D-oh.

[zzaa09]

Twenty years too late.

[bunta71]

Welcome to Thailand. Please set your watch back 50 years...

[kevc]

"The decision follows the discovery that thousands of workers are at risk in the workplace from the inhalation of asbestos fibre that can cause serious illness."

There not saying that this has just been found out are they, amazing.

[animatic]

Welcome to Thailand. Please set your watch back 50 years...

My thought rather quickly too.

They are only NOW just getting this info....

[Payboy]

National Health Commission (NHC)

Nothing gets beyond them - sharp as tacks these guys.

[Pib]

Welcome to Thailand. Please set your watch back 50 years...

It's almost like being able to relive history. Maybe Thailand should become a Hub for Reliving History. Just come to Thailand to relive similar farang history events from decades ago. It gives "Historic Thailand" a whole different meaning.

[slapout]

There has been a program to replace asbestos roof panels for several years. A couple years back a wind/hail storm hit the village and the local government brought out the old panels (which they had saved) and gave them out free to repair the damaged roofs.

When one astute villager noted the large discrepancy between what had been originally replaced and what was available for repair, he was given a run around and then told to 'be quiet and forget it'. He allowed the government people in charge of the money/costs were selling the old roofing for various uses and then pocketed the monies for the repair materials and passed out the remainder. The same fellow told me that you could still purchase the same paneling, new, that was being replaced and then reused.

If they ban the import, then the stock on the market will eventually be used up. It took some 4 years from ban of import of some chemicals before the local stock was used up.

[thequietman]

i am genuinely concerned about this. my wife started building her house before she met me, so there is a high probability that our roof tiles contain asbestos. they are the grey colour so i,m pretty sure they havent been painted over to seal them. the roof is water tight but i still feel very strong about replacing them now. even the new sections that i put on the house, i dont know if they contain asbestos ! you just dont think of there things as there is an assumption that they are safe. i know how niave of me.

should i leave well alone and only replace when needed or do any of you think there is a real danger to my family. i now know through google that siam cement stopped making tiles such as this 3 years ago. i wish i had know this before i put these tiles on my roof. what to do ?

[robblok]

i am genuinely concerned about this. my wife started building her house before she met me, so there is a high probability that our roof tiles contain asbestos. they are the grey colour so i,m pretty sure they havent been painted over to seal them. the roof is water tight but i still feel very strong about replacing them now. even the new sections that i put on the house, i dont know if they contain asbestos ! you just dont think of there things as there is an assumption that they are safe. i know how niave of me.

should i leave well alone and only replace when needed or do any of you think there is a real danger to my family. i now know through google that siam cement stopped making tiles such as this 3 years ago. i wish i had know this before i put these tiles on my roof. what to do ?

Asbestos is perfectly safe as long as you dont start drilling sawing in it. If its processed and not touched broken or something like that there is no danger. Danger starts when its processed and the dust gets in your lungs.

[miksguevara]

ummmm pay someone else to do it ?seriously how pathetic is it that the thai authorities are just getting around to this now

Edited April 12, 2011 by miksguevara

[moo9]

If it would not be such a serious issue,nit would make a good joke. It costed other countries billions to replace asbestos in existing buildings. I am sure that all the Thai governments over the last 25 yrs already prepared a fund....;-)

Or were the health impacts evaluated by Thai specialists? It is funny how a wanna be developed country continued to accept and simply ignore respected international medical studies. Shame!

[ginjag]

Welcome to Thailand. Please set your watch back 50 years...

It's almost like being able to relive history. Maybe Thailand should become a Hub for Reliving History. Just come to Thailand to relive similar farang history events from decades ago. It gives "Historic Thailand" a whole different meaning.

Thailand said this is ==as best as =we could do.....(sorry silly joke really)

[ginjag]

i am genuinely concerned about this. my wife started building her house before she met me, so there is a high probability that our roof tiles contain asbestos. they are the grey colour so i,m pretty sure they havent been painted over to seal them. the roof is water tight but i still feel very strong about replacing them now. even the new sections that i put on the house, i dont know if they contain asbestos ! you just dont think of there things as there is an assumption that they are safe. i know how niave of me.

should i leave well alone and only replace when needed or do any of you think there is a real danger to my family. i now know through google that siam cement stopped making tiles such as this 3 years ago. i wish i had know this before i put these tiles on my roof. what to do ?

If the tiles are Chang-or-Diamond, sort of 120x60 ish-----grey plain---( tip ) , paint them it seels them and use a good outdoor-or rubberised and you can choose your colour.

[animatic]

Welcome to Thailand. Please set your watch back 50 years...

It's almost like being able to relive history. Maybe Thailand should become a Hub for Reliving History. Just come to Thailand to relive similar farang history events from decades ago. It gives "Historic Thailand" a whole different meaning.

More likely The,

Hub of Lands That Time Forgot

[thequietman]

i am genuinely concerned about this. my wife started building her house before she met me, so there is a high probability that our roof tiles contain asbestos. they are the grey colour so i,m pretty sure they havent been painted over to seal them. the roof is water tight but i still feel very strong about replacing them now. even the new sections that i put on the house, i dont know if they contain asbestos ! you just dont think of there things as there is an assumption that they are safe. i know how niave of me.

should i leave well alone and only replace when needed or do any of you think there is a real danger to my family. i now know through google that siam cement stopped making tiles such as this 3 years ago. i wish i had know this before i put these tiles on my roof. what to do ?

If the tiles are Chang-or-Diamond, sort of 120x60 ish-----grey plain---( tip ) , paint them it seels them and use a good outdoor-or rubberised and you can choose your colour.

just took a walk around the house and the grey tiles at the back of the house look like they are flaking on the underside. its the very last tile where the rains runs off. christ i am really concerned now. does anybody know the names of the 2 companies in thailand who no longer use asbestos in their roof tiles. siam cement are one i think, what brand name do they use for roof tiles ? also the new ones i added to the house have been made by a company who does put asbestos into their tiles. christ almighty only in f@@@ing thailand.. i have been living here 8 years and it has come to the point that it is safe to say that nobody cares about anybody else except themselves in this country. money,profit at any cost. wish i,d never settled here.

[geriatrickid]

Asbestos is perfectly safe as long as you dont start drilling sawing in it. If its processed and not touched broken or something like that there is no danger. Danger starts when its processed and the dust gets in your lungs.

I understand you point to a certain extent, however, in consideration of the source of asbestos and the climate of Thailand your position isn't the safest option either.

The asbestos products found in Thailand come mainly from China which is now the major processor and fabricator of non commercial use asbestos based products consisting primarily insulation board, asbestos cement, and floor and ceiling tiles. True, these products when manufactured under strict quality control conditions are very dense and do not release significant amounts of fibres under normal use, but this necessitates manufacturers using high standards. Chinese building materials are not usually of the highest quality and as the recent defective & toxic gyprock fiasco demonstrated, there is almost no quality surveillance. Chinese asbestos products found in residential use are described as subject to a flaking deterioration.

Under the climate conditions of Thailand, the asbestos products are subject to an acclerated deterioration due to sun damage, heat and moisture. Ideally, one should avoid the products altogether. However, what's a person to do once the products are installed? Well, even though I disagree with you, I have to recognize that your point of no touching/disturbing is right. Asbestos product removal requires special removal techniques and procedures which are as likely to be found in Thailand as a snow storm on May 1. Removal of the products can leave dust residue that lingers and drifts. It has to be removed by vacuming, not sweeping with a palm frond broom. If the person has an asbestos cement floor or wall, the only thing to do is to either vacate the home, seal off the wall area and pulling it out then vacuming and aerating. Not likely to happen. So the best that can be done is to seal and contain and remember not to attempt to bang, pulverize or change those structures. In respect to insulation, it has to be removed since this is where most fiber release comes from in a home. The problem is once again the dust residue from the stripping process. I don't think it can be safely done in Thailand. In respect to the roof tiles, it is easy and safe to do. Just remove and discard in an approved toxic waste dump (usually a water shed in close proximity to someone's well )

The first step though is to read up on the safe removal of the product and then decide. Health Canada has a reference page along with a brief summary of the issues. it is less severe than the US OSHA page. http://www.hc-sc.gc....te-eng.php#infoe

[Pib]

To the OP: It appears you are talking roof shingles/tiles which are usually made of cement fiber, where some do flake a little at the ends. Even if the shingles/tiles do contain some asbestos, as mentioned by another poster it's only a danger when you start drilling/cutting it and breathing in the dust. It's definitely not like having asbestos inside walls, ceiling tiles, etc., which are in close proximity to humans during much of the day. Where the roof tiles are separated from the humans by the inside ceiling (possibly also painted for added sealing effect) and maybe even by a thin foil insulation between the roof tiles and supporting beams. Any dust coming from the top of the roof tiles is generally blown/washed away. Even if you replaced the tiles, what about the neighbors' roof tiles if they contain asbestos and the wind carries the dust particles you way. Going to replace those to? And don't forget about cancer causing agents in the polluted air, questionable water, vegetables loaded with chemicals/insect spray, fish coming from dirty water, meat grown/coming questionable animal feeds, etc. Especially the foods where chemicals banned in farangland long ago are still used in Thailand. I definitely wouldn't over react even"if" your continuing research confirms the roof tiles contain some asbestos. I'm all for being safe and cauious as I can, but when living in the Valley of Death (Thailand) so to speak, a person just can't completely defend against all possible dangers without moving out of the valley...then the new valley a person moves to of course has its own set of dangers.

Edited April 12, 2011 by Pib

[asiawatcher]

Can't believe all the solution do-gooders. Simply ban it, remove it and move on. What is in existence is there and Thai's are not going to spend money to change it. Having seen a friend die from Asbestos poisoning I can assure you it is not pleasant. Remove the remaining stocks and ban any further imports. It will eventually resolve the issue. Thailand is simply way to slow to do anything this 'unimportant' on the corruption agenda.

[thequietman]

thanks for your advice guys, its appreciated. one more question please and then i will stop asking. i also put in a suspended ceiling with jipsum (sorry for spelling) tiles, the ones with the fancy pattern. they were made in a local workshop. i will need to go see him after the holidays. . do these contain asbestos also ?

thanks for your input.

[geriatrickid]

thanks for your advice guys, its appreciated. one more question please and then i will stop asking. i also put in a suspended ceiling with jipsum (sorry for spelling) tiles, the ones with the fancy pattern. they were made in a local workshop. i will need to go see him after the holidays. . do these contain asbestos also ?

thanks for your input.

The gypsum type sheets should be free of asbestos. These panels are sourced in large part from China.The issue to be aware of is that for several years contaminated panels were exported from China. It is alleged that the panels were made with gypsum from mines that did not provide a high grade purity and were contaminated with sulfur. It is also postulated that the water used by the Chinese in the manufatcuring process was contaminated. The Chinese refuse to release the information needed to confirm the cause. The manufacturer named in the defective material litigation in the USA is Knauf, the German manufacturer that made the panels in China. More info here.

http://www.chinesedrywall.com/