Stronger inspection of removal, handling and disposal of asbestos needed

Concerned government agencies must work together

Manila, Philippines (27 Oct. 2009) — The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) must inspect removal, handling and disposal of asbestos to ensure the health and safety of workers, their families and the public, said the Associated Labor Unions (ALU), Building and Woodworkers International (BWI) and Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) in a forum held today.

The two government departments must also work with local government units for demolition of buildings with and disposal or clean up of asbestos in their areas. This will push companies, including waste management service providers, to comply with asbestos rules and regulations.

This came to light after Globecare Services, a waste management service provider, showed proper handling, removal and disposal of asbestos and the personal protective equipments (PPEs) and equipments needed in such tasks. The meticulous process follows the most basic or minimum safety requirements set by the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) of the DENR.

The inspection results on asbestos removal at the Manila Thermal Power Plant (MTPP) presented by the Bureau of Working Conditions (BWC) of the DOLE and EMB raised more questions than answers. Conscientious efforts to look at the alleged violations documented by TUCP/ALU/BWI as sent to said agencies and posted at http://tinyurl.com/tucp-mtpp were not enough. There was no coordination between BWC and EMB considering that they have separate but not unrelated functions.

The EMB report on the dumping of asbestos by Lepanto Mining Corporation also lacked information on why the asbestos wastes ended up in Mankayan, Benguet and what could have prevented such incident.

The BWC inspection of some 25 companies engaged with asbestos need to be expanded since EMB lists 82 companies in its registry. EMB should work to include other companies in the list particularly those using boilers and geothermal and power plants. There is a high possibility that asbestos materials are used as insulator in these companies because of its heat-resistant property.

Architects and constructors using alternative materials

The United Architects of the Philippines (UAP) confirmed that its members have stopped using asbestos containing materials (ACMs) in designing buildings and structures because of hazards to human health.

The Philippine Constructors Association (PCA) also stopped using ACMs in all its projects in early 1990s in its message sent to the forum. Imported materials are tested and pre-screened to check contents and conformity with product standards. Asbestos is present only in brake shoes or pads and clutch linings of construction heavy equipment because of its abrasive quality required for stopping the machines.

PCA is concerned with asbestos used in roofing materials in 30-40 year-old housing projects, water pipes laid up to early 1980s in subdivisions, insulation in old centralized air-conditioning systems and training and the health and safety of workers in handling and disposal of asbestos.

Another concern is the listing of structures with asbestos-containing materials. This is worth considering since PCA and UAP members might have built or designed these structures themselves. – dtuvera

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