Sugio Furuya: Banning Asbestos in Asia World Asbestos Congress Karachi, Pakistan February 1, 2014

1. Banning Asbestos in Asia
February 1, 2014
“Banning Asbestos in Pakistan” Conference, Karachi, Pakistan
Sugio FURUYA
Coordinator, Asian Ban asbestos Network (A-BAN)
Ban Asbestos Network Japan (BANJAN)
Japan Occupational Safety and Health Resource Center (JOSHRC)
2009aban@gmail.com

2. Asbestos: “Silent Time Bomb”
Asbestos
 is a proven carcinogen.
 is called the “Killer Dust” and the “Silent Time Bomb”.
 can cause serious/deadly diseases, such as mesothelioma,
lung cancer and asbestosis which have long latency
periods.
 is killing more than100,000 people every year all over the
world (ILO/WHO).
Asbestos-Related Diseases
 Mesothelioma
 Lung cancer
 Asbestosis
 Other diseases

3. Asbestos is not only Occupational Hazard
but also Public and Environmental Hazard
Direct Occupational Exposure: Workers and Self-employed Workers
 Indirect Occupational Exposure: Workers and Self-employed
Workers
 Domestic Exposure: Relatives of Workers
Numerous reports of cases among spouses of asbestos workers
(cleaning contaminated work-cloths)
 Neighborhood Exposure: Residents lived near plant, mine, etc.
Mines: South Africa, Australia, China, Canada, Finland, Korea …
Plants: Italy, Netherlands, Japan …
 Environmental Exposure: the Public, from building, soil, etc.
Soils: Turkey, Greece, Italy, New Caledonia, Cyprus, USA, …
 Exposure which origin cannot be traced

Many people is being exposed to asbestos without knowing the fact
and/or asbestos hazard

6. Chronology of National Asbestos Bans
1980
1982
1983
1984
1989
1990
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
Denmark
2000 Ireland, Estonia
Sweden
2001 Latvia, Chile, Argentina
Iceland
2002 Spain, Luxemburg,
Norway
New Zealand, Uruguay
Switzerland, Singapore
2003 Australia
Austria
2004 Honduras, Japan
Finland, Italy
2005 EU countries, Egypt, Jordan
Germany
2007 New Caledonia, Korea
Brunei
2008 South Africa, Oman
Kuwait
2009 Algeria, Seychelles
France, Bahrain
2010 Qatar, Mozambique, Turkey
Poland
2011 Israel
Belgium, Saudi Arabia
2012
UK
2013
http://www.ibasecretariat.org/chron_ban_list.php

7. Comparison of
Asbestos Consumption and
National Bans for
2000 and 2012
2000
By IBAS
>10,000 tonnes
2000-10,000 tonnes
500-2000 tonnes
Bans
2010
2012

8. Trend of Asbestos Consumption by Continent 1950-2012
millions of metric tonnes
5.0
Total
Africa
Asia and the Middle East
North America
Europe
Oceania
South America
Total
4.0
Europe
3.0
2.0
Asia and the Middle East
1.0
North America
Europe
North America
South America
Oceania
0.0
1950
1960
1970
1975
1980
1985
1990
1995
2000
Worldwide Asbestos Supply and Consumption Trends from 1900 to 2003, 2004 - 2011 US Geological Survey
2005
2010

9. Trend of Asbestos Consumption by Continent 1950-2012
％ parcentage
Asia and the Middle East
70%
Europe
60%
North America
Africa
Asia and the Middle East
North America
Europe
Oceania
South America
50%
40%
Europe
30%
20%
South America
North America
10%
South America
Africa
Oceania
0%
1950
1960
1970
1975
1980
1985
1990
1995
2000
Worldwide Asbestos Supply and Consumption Trends from 1900 to 2003, 2004 - 2011 US Geological Survey
2005
2010

10. Top 10 Asbestos Consuming Countries in 2012
Country
Asbestos Consumption (tonnes)
1
China
530,834
27.1%
2
India
493,086
25.1%
3
Brazil
167,602
8.5%
4
Indonesia
161,824
8.2%
5
Russia
155,476
7.9%
6
Uzbekistan
103,608
5.3%
7
Vietnam
78,909
4.0%
8
Thailand
58,008
3.0%
9
Sri Lanka
54,704
2.8%
10
Ukraine
42,000
2.1%
1,961,728
100.0%
World Total

11. Trend of Asbestos Consumption by Country: Asia 1950-2012
metric tonnes
World Consumption: million tonnes
China
World
China
India
Thailand
Indonesia
Vietnam
Malaysia
Sri Lanka
600,000
500,000
400,000
6
5
World
India
4
3
300,000
China
2
200,000
Indonesia
Thailand
Thailand
India
100,000
Vietnam
1
Thailand
Indonesia
0
1950
1960
1970
1975
1980
1985
1990
1995
2000
2005
Worldwide Asbestos Supply and Consumption Trends from 1900 to 2003, 2004 - 2011 US Geological Survey
2010

12. Pakistan: Asbestos Consumption 1975-2012
Import
Export
12,000
9,000
6,000
3,000
0
1975
1980
1985
1990
1995
2000
2005
Worldwide Asbestos Supply and Consumption Trends from 1900 to 2003, 2004 – 2011, US Geological Survey
2010

13. Real Asbestos Situation in Asia
Vietnam 2004

14. Real Asbestos Situation in Asia
Indonesia 2010

15. Are Asbestos Victims still Invisible ?
India 2012

16. 1995 Hanshin-Awaji Great Earthquake, Japan

17. Trade Union Workshop
GAC2000: Global Asbestos Congress
September, 2000, Osasco, Brazil

18. GAC2004: Global Asbestos Congress
19-21 November, 2004
Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
Collegium Ramazzini Statement
On the Tokyo Declaration Banning Asbestos
The declaration serves as a beacon
to nations around the world.
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/abstract/110571098/ABSTRACT

19. Coalition Building and Empowerment
of Victims and Their Families










1987 Ban Asbestos Network Japan (BANJAN)
2002 Ban Asbestos Network India (BANI)
2006 Occupational and Environmental Health Network India (OEHNI)
2008 Ban Asbestos Network Korea (BANKO)
2009 “No More Asbestos in Hong Kong” Alliance (reactivated)
2009 Asian Ban Asbestos Network (A-BAN)
2010 Indonesia Ban Asbestos Network (Ina-BAN)
2011 Malaysia Ban Asbestos Network (M-BAN) - agreement
2012 Thailand Ban Asbestos Network (T-BAN)
2013 Bangladesh Ban Asbestos Network (B-BAN)
Groups of asbestos victims exist in Japan, Korea and India.
Occupational victims groups in Hong Kong and Taiwan are
supporting asbestos victims.

20. Asian Ban Asbestos Network (A-BAN)
launched at the Asian Asbestos Conference
April 26-28, 2009, Hong Kong

21. A-BAN: Objectives
The clue to A-BAN's overall purpose is in the name; specific
objectives include:
 facilitate a total asbestos ban in Asia as soon as
possible;
 take steps to reveal the hidden epidemic of asbestosrelated diseases in Asian countries;
 reveal the widespread asbestos contamination of Asian
infrastructures;
 stop the international transfer of the asbestos industry;
 obtain justice for all asbestos victims, family members
and affected communities;
 achieve an asbestos-free society in Asia and globally.

22. We are not alone!
Japan Association of Mesothelioma, Asbestos-related
Disease Victims and Their Families