Asbestos Policies of Major International Agencies

In 2003, the organizations tasked with protecting occupational and public health adopted an Outline for the Development of National Programmes for Elimination of Asbestos-Related Diseases which stated:

“the most efficient way to eliminate asbestos-related diseases is to stop using all types of asbestos. Continued use of chrysotile asbestos cement in the construction industry is a particular concern, because the workforce is large, it is difficult to control exposure and in-place materials have the potential to deteriorate and pose a risk to those carrying our alternations, maintenance and demolition.”¹

Three years later both the International Labor Organization and the World Health Organization took further action on the asbestos hazard as detailed below.

INTERNATIONAL LABOR ORGANIZATION

On June 14, 2006, a Resolution Concerning Asbestos was adopted at the 95th General Conference of the International Labor Organization (ILO) which committed the ILO to actively promote a global asbestos ban. The asbestos resolution is noted below.

Resolution concerning asbestos

The General Conference of the International Labour Organization, Considering that all forms of asbestos, including chrysotile, are classified as known human carcinogens by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, a classification restated by the International Programme on Chemical Safety (a joint Programme of the International Labour Organization, the World Health Organization and the United Nations Environment Programme),

Alarmed that an estimated 100,000 workers die every year from diseases caused by exposure to asbestos,

Deeply concerned that workers continue to face serious risks from asbestos exposure, particularly in asbestos removal, demolition, building maintenance, ship-breaking and waste handling activities,

Noting that it has taken three decades of efforts and the emergence of suitable alternatives for a comprehensive ban on the manufacturing and use of asbestos and asbestos-containing products to be adopted in a number of countries,

Further noting that the objective of the Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health Convention 2006 is to prevent occupational injuries, diseases and deaths.

1. Resolves that:

(a) the elimination of the future use of asbestos and the identification and proper management of asbestos currently in place are the most effective means to protect workers from asbestos exposure and to prevent future asbestos-related diseases and deaths; and

(b) the Asbestos Convention, 1986 (No. 162), should not be used to provide a justification for, or endorsement of, the continued use of asbestos.

2. Requests the Governing Body to direct the International Labour Office to:

(a) continue to encourage member States to ratify and give effect to the provisions of the Asbestos Convention, 1986 (No. 162), and the Occupational Cancer Convention, 1974 (No. 139);

(b) promote the elimination of future use of all forms of asbestos and asbestos containing materials in all member States;

(d) encourage and assist member States to include measures in their national programmes on occupational safety and health to protect workers from exposure to asbestos; and

(e) transmit this resolution to all member States.²

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION

In October 2006, the World Health Organization (WHO) published a policy statement on the Elimination of Asbestos-Related Diseases which echoed the ILO's 2006 Resolution on Asbestos. Recognizing the health hazard posed by continued asbestos use, the WHO is calling for a worldwide ban:

“Bearing in mind there is no evidence for a threshold for the carcinogenic effect of asbestos and that increased cancer risks have been observed in populations exposed to very low levels, the most efficient way to eliminate asbestos-related diseases is to stop using all types of asbestos. Continued use of asbestos cement in the construction industry is a particular concern because the workforce is large, it is difficult to control exposure, and in-place materials have the potential to deteriorate and pose a risk to those carrying out alterations, maintenance and demolition. In its various applications, asbestos can be replaced by some fibre materials and by other products which pose less or no risk to health.” ³

In a document released on May 13, 2010, the World Health Organization (WHO) called for urgent action to protect human health from exposure to 10 chemicals, amongst which is asbestos. The WHO says that "in 2004, asbestos-related lung cancer, mesothelioma and asbestosis from occupational exposures resulted in 107,000 deaths and 1,523,000 DALYs," "the sum of years of potential life lost due to premature mortality and the years of productive life lost due to disability."⁴

COLLEGIUM RAMAZZINI

The Collegium Ramazzini is an independent, international academy founded in 1982 by eminent scientists. It is comprised of 180 internationally renowned experts in the fields of occupational and environmental health. The mission of the Collegium Ramazzini is to advance the study of occupational and environmental health issues and to be a bridge between the world of scientific discovery and the social and political centers which must act on the discoveries of science to protect public health.

In 1999, the Collegium issued a: Call for an International Ban on Asbestos which said:

“To eliminate the burden of disease and death that is caused worldwide by exposure to asbestos, the Collegium Ramazzini calls for an immediate ban on all mining and use of asbestos. To be effective, the ban must be international in scope and must be enforced in every country in the world.”⁵

This was followed up in 2004 by a Call for an International Ban on Asbestos: Statement Update which stated:

“Asbestos is an occupational and environmental hazard of catastrophic proportion. Asbestos has been responsible for over 200,000 deaths in the United States, and it will cause millions more deaths worldwide. The profound tragedy of the asbestos epidemic is that all illnesses and deaths related to asbestos were entirely preventable.”⁶

In March 2010, the Collegium Ramazzini called again for global action on the asbestos hazard:

“All forms of asbestos are proven human carcinogens. All forms of asbestos cause malignant mesothelioma, lung, laryngeal, and ovarian cancers, and may cause gastrointestinal and other cancers. No exposure to asbestos is without risk, and there is no safe threshold of exposure to asbestos. Asbestos cancer victims die painful lingering deaths. These deaths are almost entirely preventable…

Early suggestions that chrysotile might be less dangerous than other forms of asbestos have not been substantiated…”⁷

The 2010 document provides news of recent developments including scientific research and global action; it highlights the adoption of asbestos policies by the World Health Organization and the International Labor Organization which support a phasing out of asbestos use. The authors urge: “All countries of the world ... to join the international endeavor to ban all forms of asbestos.”

INTERNATIONAL AGENCY FOR RESEARCH ON CANCER

IARC has for decades classed all types of asbestos as a carcinogen. In March 2009 there was an IARC meeting in France which extended IARC's findings to state that exposure to asbestos caused even more types of cancer. Although the monograph detailing these findings will not be available until 2010, a summary report on the official evaluations was published in The Lancet Oncology which said:

“Globally, an estimated 125 million people are still exposed to asbestos in the workplace. Although asbestos has been banned or restricted in most of the industrialised world, its use is increasing in parts of Asia, South America, and the former Soviet Union. Naturally occurring sources of asbestos, its use in brake linings, and deterioration of asbestos-containing products all contribute to environmental exposure worldwide. Exposure may also come from fibres carried home on the clothing of asbestos workers.

Epidemiological evidence has increasingly shown an association of all forms of asbestos (chrysotile, crocidolite, amosite, tremolite, actinolite, and anthophyllite) with an increased risk of lung cancer and mesothelioma. Although the potency differences with respect to lung cancer or mesothelioma for fibres of various types and dimensions are debated, the fundamental conclusion is that all forms of asbestos are “carcinogenic to humans” (Group 1). Mineral substances (eg, talc or vermiculite) that contain asbestos should also be regarded as “carcinogenic to humans”.

Sufficient evidence is now available to show that asbestos also causes cancer of the larynx and of the ovary. A meta-analysis of cohort studies reported a relative risk of cancer of the larynx of 14 (95% CI 12–16) for “any” exposure to asbestos. With different exposure metrics, the relative risk for “high” exposure versus “none” was at least 20 (16–25).5 Cohort studies of women who were heavily exposed to asbestos in the workplace consistently report increased risks of ovarian cancer, as in a study of women in the UK who manufactured gas masks during World War II. Studies suggest that asbestos can accumulate in the ovaries of women who are exposed to it.”⁸

THE INTERNATIONAL TRADE UNION CONFEDERATION

The International Trade Union Confederation, formerly known as the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU), was set up in 1949 and has 155 million members in 156 countries on all five continents. In December 2004, the ICFTU World Congress adopted a resolution calling for a Global Asbestos Ban which instructed its member bodies, regional organisations, Global Union partners and affiliates, to:

“campaign for a total world ban on the use and commercialisation of asbestos; promote ratification of relevant ILO Conventions; work with affiliates to apply pressure on national governments to cease the further use of asbestos; ensure proper, strengthened, safeguards to protect workers and communities that are or will be exposed to asbestos products; and implement employment transition programmes for workers displaced by the banning of asbestos, including economic support for regions that are particularly affected…”⁹

WORLD BANK

In 2007, the World Bank Group adopted the Environmental, Health and Safety Guidelines, which stated:

“The use of asbestos containing materials (ACM) should be avoided in new buildings or as a new material in remodeling or renovation activities. Existing facilities with ACM should develop an asbestos management plan which clearly identifies the locations where the ACM is present, its condition� procedures for monitoring its condition, procedures to access the locations where ACM is present to avoid damage, and training of staff who can potentially come into contact with the material to avoid damage and prevent exposure.”¹⁰

In May 2009, a new World Bank document: Good Practice Note: Asbestos: Occupational and Community Health Issues was issued which:

urges avoidance of asbestos-containing materials (ACM) in new construction and new materials for renovation;
requires asbestos management plans for existing structures with in-place ACM;
mandates that the repair or removal and disposal of existing ACM should only be performed by specially trained personnel, following host country requirements, or in their absence, internationally recognized procedures.

Although adherence to this guidance note is discretionary, advice provided by the World Bank is usually regarded as a precedent for other development banks, private banks and governments. The 17-page note explains the international consensus on phasing out asbestos use, provides information on alternative building products and includes summaries and references on best practices for asbestos abatement.¹¹

August 13, 2009 (Revised August 27, 2009)

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¹ http://www.ilo.org/public/english/protection/safework/health/outline_npead.pdf

² http://www.ilo.org/public/english/standards/relm/ilc/ilc95/pdf/pr-20.pdf

³ In English: http://whqlibdoc.who.int/hq/2006/WHO_SDE_OEH_06.03_eng.pdf
In Chinese: http://whqlibdoc.who.int/hq/2006/WHO_SDE_OEH_06.03_chi.pdf
In Spanish: http://whqlibdoc.who.int/hq/2006/WHO_SDE_OEH_06.03_spa.pdf
In Arabic: http://whqlibdoc.who.int/hq/2006/WHO_SDE_OEH_06.03_ara.pdf
In French: http://whqlibdoc.who.int/hq/2006/WHO_SDE_OEH_06.03_fre.pdf
In Russian: http://whqlibdoc.who.int/hq/2006/WHO_SDE_OEH_06.03_rus.pdf

⁴Preventing Diseases Through Healthy Environments.
http://www.who.int/ipcs/features/10chemicals_en.pdf

⁵ Sixth Collegium Ramazzini Statement (1999). Call for an International Ban on Asbestos
http://www.collegiumramazzini.org/download/6_SixthCRStatement%281999%29.pdf

⁶ http://www.collegiumramazzini.org/download/11_EleventhCRStatement(2004).pdf

⁷ Asbestos Is Still with Us: Repeat Call for a Universal Ban. Collegium Ramazzin. (2010).
(Received by email March 18, 2010.)

⁸ http://www.thelancet.com/oncology Vol 10 May 2009, pages 453-454

⁹ http://www.icftu.org/www/pdf/statements/124EB_E_12_a_Asbestos%20%20EB%20resolution%20%20FINAL.pdf

¹⁰ http://www.ifc.org/ifcext/enviro.nsf/AttachmentsByTitle/gui_EHSGuidelines2007_GeneralEHS/$FILE/Final+-+General+EHS+Guidelines.pdf