New wave of asbestos risk from illegal imports

07 Nov 2016

Asbestos

In July this year this new building in Brisbane was found to have been using asbestos-containing gaskets during construction, which were subsequently removed.

This article first appeared in the Spring 2016 edition of Fire Australia. By Darryl J Dixon, Charles Sturt University and Associate Student, Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC.

Exposure of emergency services, construction and fire protection personnel to illegal imported products containing asbestos could cause the next wave of asbestos-related diseases.

Although Australia banned asbestos-containing products in 2003, the reality is that Australia had the unfortunate record for having the largest use of asbestos in the world (1). Now we have one of the highest rates of a cancer caused by asbestos exposure, mesothelioma, per capita in the world (1). Because of this high use, several waves of asbestos exposure have, and are still taking place, including:

asbestos miners and those who handled raw asbestos
workers who used asbestos products prior to its banning, such as builders, plumbers and boilermakers.
do-it-yourself renovators who remove, disturb and damage asbestos containing material without protection and environmental exposures.
emergency service personnel (as proposed by my studies into the exposure of emergency service personnel to asbestos).

Rather than dealing with the risks associated with the nations’ asbestos legacy, a new fifth wave is currently hitting our shores from the use of illegally imported material containing asbestos.

From the Greek word meaning ‘inextinguishable’, asbestos is actually six naturally occurring minerals categorised into two types: serpentine, containing chrysotile, also known as white asbestos and the amphibole group, consisting of anthophylite, amosite (brown asbestos), crocidolite (blue asbestos), tremolite and actinolite. The majority of asbestos products contain white asbestos, as it was more abundant and cheaper to mine, therefore utilise in products.

The health issues associated with asbestos were overlooked for several decades. From the early 1900’s illnesses directly attributed to asbestos exposure such as asbestosis (scarring and thickening of the lung), mesothelioma (cancer lining the lungs and body cavities) and lung cancer were being documented, yet disregarded due to the substantially delayed manifestation of symptoms and illness. Symptoms may not appear until 10 to 40 years after exposure.

Asbestos fibres cannot be seen by the naked eye, felt or tasted, nor can they be immediately detected on scene. They are one of the few hazardous materials that provides no known real time exposure or contamination effect by emergency services.

In Australia, the asbestos market grew during and after World War II due to the surge in population and a large naturally occurring asbestos stockpile. Close to 3,000 products have been known to contain asbestos, from ropes and tape, to brake linings and disc pads in vehicles, cement sheeting and panels, pipes, fire resistant building materials and fire blankets, gloves, lagging, sealants, tiles, fencing panels, and artificial snow and ironing board covers. Prior to prohibition, nearly two million tonnes of asbestos were consumed in Australia (2).

Asbestos in buildings after the ban

While many states and territories restricted the use of asbestos for construction and building products as early as 1984, a national exclusion on the mining, use or reuse, production, storage, installation, sale and the importation and exportation of asbestos and asbestos-containing material did not occur until December 31, 2003. Because of this significant delay it is possible that a residual of asbestos products may have been used deliberately or even unknowingly installed until the end of 2003. The Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency (2016) estimates that one third of all homes built in Australia contain asbestos products (3).

Limited and authorised exemptions have existed for research, analysis or display and removal from the Australian Antarctic Territory.

In a Senate estimates committee during October 2015, Commissioner Roman Quaedvlieg of the Australian Border Force agreed with an assessment of the Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency that there is no guarantee that Australian buildings constructed after 2003 are completely free of asbestos (4).

The assessment is partly based on some recent cases.

A major breech of restrictions occurred in 2012 when some 25,000 Great Wall and Chery vehicles were imported with over 20 parts containing asbestos - including engine and exhaust gaskets. Rather than recall or replace them it was determined that affected vehicles be fitted with asbestos warning stickers. In 2013, a batch of motorcycles was detected and intercepted in Adelaide by Customs - these were subsequently destroyed. More recently, asbestos was detected in 2015 in counterfeit brake pads suitable for use on Toyota Hilux and Hiace vehicles sold through online retailers.

The new Perth Children’s Hospital went into alert on 11 July when suspicion of asbestos in roof panels was raised by workers who had commenced to drill and cut into the panels. Some of the roof panels installed were found to contain up to 10 percent Chrysotile (white asbestos). The Western Australia Health Minister John Day (5) confirmed that four of seven panels tested were positive for asbestos.

In Brisbane, the Queensland Government’s new 41 floor executive building at 1 William Street was found to have been utilising asbestos containing gaskets. All work on the site was suspended in July for 24 hours whilst the gaskets were removed.

In both the Brisbane and Perth cases the discovery of asbestos was coincidental with the same supplier being used. The company responsible has claimed to be the victim of fraudulent international test certificates and are assisting with numerous investigations and inquiries being undertaken at both locations.

Most recently, at the beginning of August, the Australian Border Force (ABF) released an independent report containing 11 recommendations. Of particular note is increasing engagement with public and industry and prioritising investigation and prosecutions of asbestos importation. Border Force Commissioner Quaedvlieg stated at the time of the release, “Australia is one of the few countries that have a total ban on asbestos and stopping contaminated products before or at the border is a priority for the ABF and the Department” (6).

These examples are a small selection of currently known cases and provide a problem for anyone who is handling these materials in a variety of stable and unstable conditions and not knowing they contain asbestos fibres.

Responsibility is with the importer

The responsibility under work health and safety laws and the Customs (Prohibited Imports) Regulations 1956 is on the importer of the material, not the supplier. To minimise potential for exposure to asbestos containing material, the following information may assist:

Before importation importers need to ensure products are certified ‘Asbestos Free’ (of all six types of asbestos) in accordance with Australian Standard 4964 – 2004 method for the qualitative identification of asbestos in bulk samples by a current and valid National Association of Testing Authorities -accredited laboratory or overseas mutually recognised and affiliated facility, prior to importation.
Importers need to request to see the analysis certificate for the products.
Importers need to use a trusted provider and source of materials. Australian made products have significantly less risk as manufacturers cannot use asbestos.
If in doubt, assume asbestos is present, treat accordingly and enact risk control methods as per the state/territory code of practice on How to Manage and Control Asbestos in the Workplace.
Before work commences, construction and fire protection personnel need to ensure the asbestos register for the facility or building is up to date, inspected and have any suspicious material tested, before work commences.
Emergency services should have known or suspected asbestos-containing materials listed on their pre-incident plans.

State and territory workplace health and safety regulators and environment protection agencies, the Australian Border Force, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and the Abestos Safety and Eradication Agency can provide more information.

While this fifth asbestos wave forms a significant health risk and ongoing occupational concern that cannot be eliminated altogether, proactive measures such as adding asbestos to risk assessments and situational awareness can reduce the potential exposure threat.

References:

Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency. (2016). Asbestos Information. Retrieved from https://www.asbestossafety.gov.au/asbestos-information
Australia, Senate. (2015). Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee. Retrieved from http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/download/committees/estimate/c952e67....
Australian Border Force. (2016). Asbestos Importation Review released [Press release]. Retrieved from http://newsroom.border.gov.au/releases/asbestos-importation-review-released
Burrell, A. (2016, 14 July, 2016). Asbestos traces found in roof panels at Perths Children's Hospital. The Australian. Retrieved from http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/health-science/asbestos-traces-foun...
Dodson, R. F., & Hammar, S. P. (2011). The History of Asbestos Utilization and Recognition of Asbestos-Induced Diseases Asbestos: Risk assessment, epidemiology, and health effects (pp. 1-22): CRC Press.
Leigh, J., Davidson, P., Hendrie, L., & Berry, D. (2002). Malignant mesothelioma in Australia, 1945–2000*. American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 41(3), 188-201.