Of late, there has been a renewed push by many governments around the world to eliminate the presence of asbestos within their borders. In the United Kingdom (UK), members of parliament have been pushing for all public buildings to be free of asbestos within the next forty years (article here).
With a strong commitment from the government, could the United Arab Emirates (UAE) become the first country in the world to eradicate the deadly material and declare its territory asbestos-free? In this blog article, we explore if this is possible and how it could be achieved.
Asbestos was banned in the UAE in 2006, and although there is evidence that asbestos is still being imported/used inside the country in small amounts, there is less asbestos per building than can be found in similar properties in the US or Europe. There are several reasons for this, including the climate, building heating and cooling systems, construction dates of existing buildings, and the volume of raw asbestos and Asbestos Containing Materials (ACMs) that have been imported into the country over the years. Additionally, due to the relatively small population (approximately 10 million people), there are significantly fewer buildings present in the Emirates than, for example, in the UK. Even the styles of buildings are architecturally different from those found in the US and Europe, with many buildings being high-rise towers. This leads to less rooftop space (a common location for ACMs in the Middle East), and less chance of the occurrence of asbestos cement roof sheeting (the most common ACM in the Middle East). Asbestos Insulating Board (AIB) in the form of asbestos ceiling tiles, asbestos pipe insulation, and asbestos vinyl floor tiles (typically found indoors) are much less common in the Middle East.
An asbestos-free country or Emirate certainly seems achievable.
The first step to achieving an asbestos-free nation would be to launch a campaign to educate the public and private sector on the dangers of asbestos and publicize the UAE’s goal of becoming the first asbestos-free country.
After raising awareness of the asbestos risk, the next step would be to identify the locations of the existing ACMs. A plan should be set to identify and prioritize the high-risk industries and sectors as these are likely to be where most of the ACMs are present. A strongly enforced regulation, similar to those that exist in the UK, Australia, the US, and Abu Dhabi, requiring duty-holders of non-domestic properties to have an asbestos survey completed by a competent professional, should be implemented and enforced nationwide. Companies not complying with the requirement would face fines or delays in the renewal of their trade licenses until they have completed the inspection phase.
Once the asbestos materials have been identified, a timeline for asbestos removal should be set and adhered to. Asbestos abatement companies and Asbestos Supervising Consultants (ASC) should carry out the work, and all asbestos waste should be disposed of at Emirate licensed hazardous waste landfills, such as those already present in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Asbestos abatement companies and ASCs should be appropriately trained, qualified, competent, and registered with the relevant local regulatory authority within each Emirate.
The final aspect to consider is the validation of the asbestos removal and the production of an “asbestos-free building certificate”. Provided that the asbestos survey is comprehensive (fully intrusive – Type 3 asbestos survey) and the asbestos removal is validated by a third party (complete with asbestos air sampling), then the certificate could be issued by the ASC. A national register of buildings free of asbestos should be maintained by the appropriate regulatory authority in each Emirate.
A similar approach of inspection, removal and validation can be taken to cover domestic properties.
An immediate measure that should be implemented from the outset is that of completely prohibiting the further inflow of asbestos materials into the country. A ban is already in place, but a greater level of inspection of imported goods (particularly goods coming from countries with no asbestos ban) should be implemented at the various ports to identify asbestos materials illegally coming into the country. Heavy fines should be levied on anyone breaking the existing law.
Contractual prohibitions on the future use of asbestos in new builds should be present throughout the construction industry supply chain, from developer to contractor to sub-contractor. Thankfully, existing Federal regulations for new construction are already in place (Cabinet Resolution 39 of 2006), and are replicated in the Estidama Pearl Rating System in Abu Dhabi and the Green Building Regulations (Al Sa’fat) in Dubai. Similar green building and health and safety requirements should be created in other Emirates.
Sub-surface Asbestos Cement (AC) pipes (used for potable water supply, irrigation, and stormwater drainage) will need to be addressed over time. However, these are arguably the lowest risk of all the ACMs in the country, provided they remain in the ground and undisturbed. Glass Reinforced Plastic (GRP) pipes are already being used as a substitute material for underground pipework, and through the years the AC pipes will gradually be replaced after being disposed of as asbestos waste.
Although it may take several years to complete, with the right mindset, leadership, and commitment, it seems feasible that the UAE could reach the enviable milestone of becoming the first asbestos-free country in the world.
If you have any Asbestos related concerns, contact us to see how Anthesis Consulting Middle East can help you:
Charles Faulkner (Head of Environment, Health and Safety, and Asbestos Team Leader)
Phone: +971 (0) 50 5541 320
Email: asbestos@anthesisgroup.com