Chrysotile Asbestos Mesothelioma And Garage Mechanics Asbestos: the iron grip of latency

Asbestos: the iron grip of latency

It happens every day somewhere in Europe: a building is demolished 50s. Some children return from school, watching the giant bulldozer at work. The machine has already attacccato the ground floor - apparently no one has noticed the sheets of asbestos?

For a moment, huge amounts of asbestos fibers fly up. The fibers are very close and easily breathable. Their resistance to chemical dissolution means that it will persist for a long time - maybe forever, once it reaches the lungs. The harmful effects emerge only after decades of latency.

"In principle, asbestos can cause two types of damage in humans: asbestosis, a fibrous thickening that occurs within the alveolar structure of the lung or pleural lining, and cancers of the lung and larynx including mesothelioma, the most malignant cancers related to work, "says Jukka Takala.

Although the use and production of asbestos have been banned in the 15 European Union member states and soon will be in the new Member States, the "iron grip of latency" explains why the problem of asbestos contamination is still to the political agenda in many industrialized countries.

In October 2005, a report by the French Senate criticizes the government for failing to provide an adequate response to the national problem of asbestos contamination, which has consequently accelerated the allocation of cancer deaths asbestos .

The report shows that "if between 1965 and 1995, 35,000 deaths can be attributed to asbestos, it is expected that a number of deaths of between 60,000 and 100,000 will occur in the next 20-25 years." Because of the long latency periods typical of lung cancer caused by asbestos, French scientists say is inevitable and irreversible phenomenon becomes epidemic and provide lasting until 2030.

"Asbestos is one of the most important, if not the most important single factor responsible for work-related deaths and is increasingly seen as the main challenge for health policy around the world," says Jukka Takala.

Taking into account the studies by the ILO, the Japanese Ministry of the Environment recently gave a first official estimate of the numbers of deaths caused by asbestos. According to officials of the ministry, the number of deaths caused by mesothelioma or by other types of lung cancer in Japan could rise to 15,600 by 2010.

The Ministry will use the estimate for a law providing for special measures planned to cover health care costs for those who suffer from diseases caused by asbestos, and offer compensation to family members of asbestos victims.

As for the other countries, according to an ILO estimate, more than 21,000 people in the United States, more than 10,000 in the Russian Federation in China and more than 110,000 die each year of mesothelioma and lung cancer caused by asbestos. It is estimated that in Western Europe, North America, Japan and Australia, occur every year 20,000 new cases of lung cancer caused by asbestos and 10,000 new cases of mesothelioma.

Towards a worldwide ban on asbestos?

The EU Directive on the protection of workers from risks related to exposure to asbestos at work (83/477/EEC, amendments of March 2003) and the ILO Convention Ranked # 162 on Safety in the Use of Asbestos, adopted in 1986, half the worldwide production of asbestos since the 70s.

"However, asbestos is still the number 1 carcinogens in the working world," says Jukka Takala. "Instead of being solved, the problem has been moved.'s Developing countries the risk is now even higher than in countries where the market economy is now established and certainly the asbestos will prove a 'ticking time bomb 'Health in these countries in the next 20-30 years. "

In developing countries, the use of asbestos has increased over the last three decades of the twentieth century, while the United States and other industrialized countries have begun to phase out the use of this substance.

Jukka Takala of ship dismantling industry in Asia is a particularly striking example. "A ship is dismantled in Bangladesh or elsewhere contains an average of six tons of asbestos. Nearly all of the ship will be recycled, including asbestos.'s Not dangerous recycling safe products, but tear down and reassemble asbestos ships without protective equipment is unacceptable , "he says again.

The ILO provides different solutions to the challenge of asbestos, which are based on international standards (conventions, recommendations, codes of conduct). ILO Conventions No. 139, 148, 162 and 170 on contract cancer in the workplace, working on environmental conditions, safety and security in the use of asbestos in the use of chemicals has received 116 ratifications by Member States of the ILO.

These conventions provide a solid legal basis and technical support for the protection of workers from harmful exposures to asbestos, why prescribe preventive measures overall enterprise-wide and nationally. Other means, such as the sharing of knowledge and experiences, dissemination of information, technical assistance and direct the activities of technical cooperation, are widely used by the ILO to intensify preventive efforts to combat diseases related to asbestos.

"We are still far from a global ban on the use and production of asbestos. 27 countries have ratified the ILO Convention No. 162 concerning Safety in the Use of Asbestos," says Jukka Takala, adding that among the 25 countries that have banned the 'asbestos are the EU-15, Argentina, Australia, Chile, Croatia, Hungary, Norway, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Slovenia and Switzerland.

"Move the risks it does not correspond to the objective of a fair globalization, which offers the same opportunities to all.'s A big but important challenge, extend the ban asbestos in all countries of the world. To this end, the community international community must provide all the knowledge and service to meet the necessary restructuring measures, create alternative jobs and promote the use of asbestos substitutes in the world, "says Jukka Takala.