Asbestos the Silent Killer
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) over 107,000 people die every year as a result of Asbestos related diseases – 125 million people are exposed to the deadly material in the workplace every year. Nothing has killed more people in the workplace than the legacy of Asbestos, and it has the disreputable title of being the world’s biggest occupational killer.
There is a commonly held perception in the Middle East and within the United Arab Emirates (UAE), that Asbestos is only a problem for older buildings, a problem those located in Europe and North America – not a problem for the new buildings and recent construction found predominantly in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states. It’s certainly true that Europe and the United States have a difficult history with Asbestos – stories of Asbestos exposure, ill health, death and legal proceedings are commonplace, but it cannot be believed that Asbestos is not a concern for the Emirates and the wider region.
It is generally accepted that Asbestos has been banned in the UAE since November 2006. The prohibition applies to ‘Asbestos boards’, which can be loosely interpreted, and for many years after the application of this Federal law Asbestos cement pipes continued to be used across the country. This is somewhat at odds with the view that Asbestos can only be found within old buildings. Compounding this is the fact that Asbestos factories were given a year to shut down their production – meaning an effective ban in the UAE would be November 2007, instead of 2006.
Asbestos has been used widely across the Middle Eastern region since the 1960’s and is particularly prevalent in low rise residential villas where it used as roof sheeting and car park shading. Over 5 decades since the start of its use, significant amounts of Asbestos has been imported in to the region and in to the UAE. Even after the prohibition, statistics taken from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) data reports show that in 2007 more than 17,000 tonnes of pure Chrysotile (White) Asbestos was imported and utilized most likely in the UAE construction industry.
The danger with Asbestos, whether it be during installation, maintenance, refurbishment of demolition, is that if it is disturbed it has the potential to lead to the development of fatal diseases in humans. A safe level of Asbestos exposure is yet to be established, but it is known that the more you are exposed to the greater the chance you have of developing Asbestosis, mesothelioma or Asbestos related lung cancer. Those most at risk from Asbestos illnesses are individuals working in construction, demolition and refurbishment, especially if they are unaware of the dangers that may be present without their knowledge.
Workers that are exposed to Asbestos unwittingly often expose others through a phenomenon known as ‘secondary exposure’. Typically, this type of exposure affects family members (women and children), and friends or work colleagues, who breath in the deadly fibres from the contaminated clothing of the initial person exposed to the Asbestos dust. This tragic story is regularly reported in the newspapers of the American and European press, who detail the misfortune of the families whose lives have been destroyed by Asbestos diseases and deaths.
The most effective way to avoid primary and secondary exposure is to firstly enact a global ban on the use of Asbestos and substitute this material with safer alternatives.
Secondly, prevention from exposure caused by Asbestos materials already in the workplace must be brought to the forefront, with employers applying their legal ‘duty of care’ to protect employees from Asbestos exposure. This means providing information, instruction and training to any employees that could potentially be exposed to Asbestos, ensuring safe systems of work are in place, and where necessary providing personal and respiratory protective equipment. Duty holders must ensure that their facilities are surveyed for Asbestos and that site-specific Asbestos Management Plans (AMPs) are created and implemented. Where Asbestos removal is required this should only be carried out by competent contractors under the management of qualified parties such as an Asbestos Supervising Consultant (ASC). All local and Federal legislation must be followed, and a best practice to Asbestos management must be applied across the UAE and Middle Eastern region.
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