Raising awareness of the harmful effects of using white asbestos roofing sheets
(Baonghean.vn) - Due to the negative impacts of products using white asbestos on human health, many scientists and experts recommend that people resolutely not use products using white asbestos such as fibro-cement roofing sheets.
On the afternoon of June 7, in Vinh city, Nghe An Labor Federation coordinated with APHEDA organization in Vietnam to organize a workshop "White asbestos and health of workers and community - raising awareness and preventing asbestos-related diseases".
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| Conference scene. Photo: Minh Chi |
At the workshop, scientists and experts affirmed that asbestos in general and white asbestos in particular is one of the most commonly used materials in the world, because of its convenient features such as fire resistance, resistance to harsh environments, and electrical insulation. In Vietnam, white asbestos is mainly used to make fiber cement roofing sheets.
However, due to the negative effects of asbestos on human health, such as lung cancer, larynx cancer, mesothelioma and asbestosis, many countries around the world have banned the use of asbestos in construction.
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| Fibro cement roofing sheets are widely used in rural, mountainous and ethnic minority areas. Photo: daidoanket.vn |
For Vietnam, on August 1, 2001, the Prime Minister issued Decision No. 115/QD-TTg on the plan to research and produce materials to replace asbestos in roofing sheet production and from 2004, asbestos materials are not allowed to be used in roofing sheet production.
However, after 17 years, the roadmap to stop using white asbestos and products made from white asbestos is still facing difficulties.
According to figures from the Ministry of Construction, domestic consumption of asbestos roofing sheets in 2017 was about 54 million m3.
To continue reducing and eventually stopping the use, especially in rural, mountainous and ethnic minority areas, on January 1, 2018, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc signed Resolution No. 01/NQ-CP on the main tasks and solutions to implement the socio-economic development plan and state budget estimates for 2018, in which he assigned the Ministry of Construction to develop a roadmap to stop the use of white asbestos to end the production of roofing sheets from 2023.
Many opinions at the workshop also said that while waiting for legal corridors and the application of alternative materials that do not contain white asbestos in the production of construction materials, all levels, sectors and localities need to step up propaganda to the people about the harmful effects of white asbestos and fiber cement roofing sheets on human health.