Ban on Use of White Asbestos

Concerning various types of asbestos that been proven carcinogenic, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan has banned production and use of crocidolite (blue asbestos) and amosite since 1995, and now the Ministry is considering a ban on the production and use of chrysotile (white asbestos) as well. The use of chrysotile is currently allowed for certain applications, such as in building materials.

In a questionnaire survey conducted by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, 26 manufactures of asbestos products and their 10 trade associations answered that, among 197 products made from asbestos at present, 140 can be produced without asbestos while asbestos is indispensable for the remaining 57.

Within the Ministry, a committee comprised of experts and scholars will study the extent to which asbestos has been substituted and also conduct research on technologies to enable substitution with alternatives. The Ministry is proceeding with debate in the direction of placing a ban on use of asbestos, in principle, unless its use is unavoidable for the sake of securing human safety and for socio-economic reasons.



Posted: 2003/02/20 03:46:08 PM
Japanese version