Although the European Union has banned all types of asbestos and the United States has banned many asbestos products, global production of the mineral is still in full force, particularly in developing nations.
The dangers of asbestos are still relatively new. All forms of asbestos may cause cancer, and continuing exports could seriously prolong the health risks associated with asbestos. Asbestos use was common in the United Kingdom as recently as the late 1980's. Experts warn that by 2030, the use of asbestos could be linked to millions of deaths.
The Health and Safety Executive in the United Kingdom has launched 'Asbestos: the hidden killer', a campaign aiming to highlight the dangers of asbestos to people employed in the construction industry, as they are likely to come in to contact with asbestos during the course of their working day.
The BBC World Service and the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) are launching a new case study, entitled 'Dangers in the Dust' which highlights the production and use of asbestos globally. The conclusions of the investigation show that a global network of industry groups has spent millions of dollars in public and private money since the mid-1980's to keep asbestos in commerce internationally.
The worlds biggest producer of asbestos is Russia. There are many asbestos mines still in full production, with the total amount of asbestos mined in Russia being estimated at approximately one million tonnes per year. It is estimated that the Russian asbestos industry contributes approximately US$1 billion to the Russian economy and employs approximately half a million people.
Russian asbestos is sold predominantly to China where it will be woven into fire-proof blankets and used for building materials such as bricks and drains. Russian scientists and experts insist that the type of asbestos produced, white asbestos or chrysotile, can be safely handled and production effectively controlled. There is a perception in Russia that the asbestos ban is driven by commercial factors and politics. They emphasise that a world wide ban would be an attack on Russian industry and jobs.
The use of white asbestos has been banned, or is subject to stringent restrictions in more than 50 countries due to serious public health and safety fears. In developing countries however, the use of white asbestos is increasing.
White asbestos is cheap and has durable qualities, which makes it a very popular product in India, where there is a particular demand for cheap housing. Asbestos is commonplace, there are shanty towns made entirely from broken bits of asbestos sheeting. Many factory workers suffer from breathing problems. Surprisingly, some developed countries (for example Canada), mine and export white asbestos to developing countries such as India.
For more information about asbestos, please click here to visit the HSE website.
To hear more about the 'dangers in the dust' investigation, please click here to visit the BBC website.
This article was written for Law-Now, CMS Cameron McKenna's free online information service. To register for Law-Now, please go to www.law-now.com/law-now/mondaq
Law-Now information is for general purposes and guidance only. The information and opinions expressed in all Law-Now articles are not necessarily comprehensive and do not purport to give professional or legal advice. All Law-Now information relates to circumstances prevailing at the date of its original publication and may not have been updated to reflect subsequent developments.
The original publication date for this article was 22/07/2010.
