Asbestos situation in Thailand

1
Asbestos situation in Thailand
Pornpimol Kongtip
2
Asbestos has been imported to Thailand for more
than 30 years 90 of asbestos are used in
cement manufacturing products such as roof tile
and cement pipe, 8 in brake and clutch and the
rest in vinyl floor tile, gasket, heat
insulating material.
There were approximately 1710 workers in
17 factories manufacturing materials containing
asbestos.
3
Imported Chrysotile in Thailand
Ton (1000 Kg)
(Jan-Oct)
Year
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Law and regulation related to asbestos

• Ministry of Industry
• Hazardous substance Act B.E. 2535

Divided asbestos into 2 groups 1. Chrysotile,
hazardous substance type 3, are allowed to
import, produce, export or possess. 2.Crocidolit
e and amosite, hazardous substance type 4, are
not allowed to import, produce, export or possess.
The permit for chrysotile need to control for
quantity, production and storage location and
transportation.
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The factories shall have dust control measure,
safe handling and use measures, personal
protective equipment, material safety data sheet
and workers health examination.
Working environment dust level shall be less
than 1 fiber/cm3.
Notification of the Ministry of Interior Working
Safety in Respect to Environmental Condition
(Chemical) B.E. 2520
The average concentration of asbestos /
tremolite in the workplace shall not exceed 5
fibers/cm3.
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Asbestos related diseases in Thailand

• Asbestos related diseases have never been
  reported
• in Thailand. Only 13 pleural thickening cases out
  of 701
• workers were reported from a survey conducted in
• 24 factories by the division of occupational
  Health,
• Ministry of Public Health, in 1987.
• It is probably because of several reasons
• Lack of specialist in diagnosis of asbestos
  related
• diseases
• Lack of system in managing workers history
• Long incubation period before developing diseases
• Lack of effective health surveillance program

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Some research projects were carried out related
to Asbestos In Thailand.

• Bureau of Occupational and environmental
  Diseases,
• Ministry of Public Health, conducted survey in 20
• factories during 1987-1988.

• National Institute for Improvement of Working
• Conditions and Environment (NICE) conducted
  survey
• in 11 factories during 1999-2000.

• Department of Industrial Works, Ministry of
  Industry,
• conducted survey in factories in 2001.

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Asbestos in working environment, mean ? SD,
Range, by the division of Occupational Health,
Ministry of Public Health.
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Asbestos in working environment by the National
Institute for Improvement of Working Conditions
and Environment (NICE), Ministry of Labour in
11 factories during 1999-2000.
10
Asbestos in working environment conducted by
Department of Industrial Works, Ministry of
Industry, in 2001.
11
Department of Occupational Health and
Safety, Faculty of Public Health, Mahidol
University, conducted research to reduce asbestos
exposure in 4 roof tile manufacturing industries
in 2002 and studied the risk of participants
developing cancer in 60 office buildings and 76
homes using asbestos- containing materials.
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Asbestos in Working Environment during
Transportation of Asbestos from Container to Silo
Note P personal sampling, A Area sampling
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Asbestos in Working Environment during roof tile
manufacturing process in 4 factories in 2002
P personal sampling, A Area sampling
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Risk of Participants developing cancer from
materials containing asbestos in 60 office
buildings and 76 homes
The risk of participants developing cancer from
working in office building using
materials containing asbestos was 2.40 x 10-5.
The risk of participants developing cancer in
homes using materials containing asbestos was
2.10 x 10-4.
The risk of participants developing cancer from
working in office building and staying in homes
using materials containing asbestos was 8.83 x
10-4.
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Conclusion
The highest risk group was workers in brake
lining and pad industries who exposed to high
level of chrysotile. The safety operation
procedure and effective surveillance program
should be set up and implemented in these types
of small-sized industries to reduce exposure. If
buildings using materials containing asbestos get
older, the asbestos concentration in air will be
increased, the risk of participants developing
cancer will also increase, and we will realize
the toxicity of asbestos.