Asbestos warnings planned
The Labour Protection and Welfare Department will educate industries and workers about the dangers of asbestos.
Director-general Padungsak Thephasdin na Ayutthaya said yesterday that the recent International Labour Organisation general assembly agreed to eradicate the use of asbestos - which reportedly causes around 100,000 deaths annually - and to urge member countries to put in place measures to protect their workers. Asbestos is a fibrous material used for making fireproof articles in the construction industry. Inhaling the fibres can cause asbestosis or lung cancer. Thailand is the world's fourth-largest importer of asbestos with an average of 200,000 tonnes per year, while 29 countries have already banned the use of asbestos and nine countries are working towards a ban, Padungsak said. He said a meeting of Thai agencies about the issue had agreed that measures should be launched to protect workers and the public, control industries' use of asbestos and watch for diseases. Padungsak's department will act quickly to educate industries and workers about the dangers of asbestos and to improve safety measures in handling the material. All provincial-level offices will check establishments for fibre particles and working conditions, while workers will undergo regular check-ups for asbestos-related diseases, he added. Failure to comply with the regulations is punishable by up to six months in jail and/or a fine of up to Bt100,000. Padungsak urged employers and workers wanting to know the protocol of asbestos use to call the Work Safety Office at (02) 448 4338, extension 318.
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