Asbestos Use in China Causes Occupational Disease
The rapid industrialization and economic growth in China have produced a persistent demand for asbestos, making China one of the world’s leading users of asbestos. For the past several years, China has been among the top five producers of asbestos. However, China’s domestic production cannot keep pace with its needs and China’s import of asbestos has also risen dramatically.
The majority of the asbestos that China imports comes from Russia. China has been estimated to use over 530,000 tons of asbestos annually. The main use of asbestos goes for the production of asbestos-cement building materials, followed by use in friction products, textiles and insulating products.
One hundred thousand people in China are exposed to asbestos at work. There are 1200 asbestos factories in China, some of which are located in densely populated areas. It is estimated that 90 million tons of asbestos exist in China, and about 90% of this is in the western areas.
As the use of asbestos became clearly linked with asbestos related lung cancer, mesothelioma and asbestosis, laws were enacted to improve occupational health and safety. Current regulations call for ventilations equipment, dust collectors, purification equipment, and dampened work environment to control air quality and prevent asbestos dust contamination.
Furthermore, employers are supposed to offer protective glasses, masks, and clothing. Under occupational law, workers have the right to refuse to work in areas where the dust density exceeds national safety standards.
In 2001, occupational and health agencies called for the gradual reduction of asbestos and replacement with new, non-toxic materials. Workers with occupational diseases such as mesothelioma, asbestosis or lung cancer have the right to free medical treatment. In 2003, asbestos containing friction materials were banned from the automobile industry. In Beijing, as of the beginning of 2004, all asbestos containing materials are banned from use in construction projects.
It has been reported that compliance with these Chinese occupational asbestos standards is not good. While laws are on the books in China since the early 2000s which prohibit or limit the use of asbestos, there are those experts in the field of occupational health and safety who opine that these regulations are not being enforced and a whole population of people are at risk of developing asbestos-related disease.
