NUM Celebrates Asbestos Ban -- MesoLink.org -- 06-17-04

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) in Cape Town is celebrating an announcement made earlier this month. The Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Marthinus van Schalkwyk, stated that this year the use of asbestos would be banned.

The NUM had been working towards this result for many years, following rising cases of workers contracting mesothelioma, a cancer caused by exposure to asbestos fibres. With many workers in mining and other industries exposed to this material each year, the issue of health risks had been a major concern for the Union.

However, although the ban on the use of asbestos has been welcomed, there are still concerns with regards to ongoing asbestos products and pollution. With many families living in homes that are rife with asbestos products, there are still calls for this additional problem to be addressed.

Health Specialist Lawyer, Richard Spoor, stated that the Minister’s statement was greatly welcomed, but that other aspects of asbestos pollution still needed to be looked at in order to save lives. He said: "Literally thousands of people are exposed daily to one of the most potent carcinogens known to man. We will continue to reap hundreds of asbestos-related cancers every year until the problem is addressed."

The Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism will be issuing regulations later this year relating to the prohibition and banning of asbestos products. However, it is thought that there will be a 3-5 year ‘phase-out period’ to enable industries to find suitable alternatives to asbestos.