Asbestos at Finnish workplace

Senior engineer

Erkki Sundquist

Ministry of Social Affairs and Health

History

• First compensated case of asbestosis 1938

• Hazardous properties of asbestos taken 1970 seriously

• Spraying or troweling asbestos were 1974 abandoned

• Use of asbestos for insulating pipes 1974 and boilers was abandoned

• The only asbestos mine in Finland was closed 1975

• Council of State Decree on asbestos at work 1976

History• Use of asbestos as a raw-material in 1974 – 1980

industries was abandoned with a few exceptions• Use of asbestos was abandoned in 1976 – 1980

shipbuilding• Amendment of the Council of State 1987

Decree on asbestos at work• National Board of Labour Protection 1988

Decision on labelling asbestos-containing materials

• National Board of Labour Protection 1989 Decision on acceptable methods and equipment in asbestos removal

History

• Production of asbestos-containing roof-tiles 1989 was abandoned

• Production of asbestos-containing floor-tiles 1989 was abandoned

• Council of State Decree on prohibition 1992 of asbestos-containing products

• Amendment of Council of State Decree on 1993 prohibition of asbestos-containing products

• Council of State Decree on asbestos at work 1994

History

• RATU 82-0236. Demolition of 2000 asbestos-containing structures

• Council of State Decree on asbestos restrictions 2004

Current situation in Finland

• Asbestos is not used as a raw-material • Practically no asbestos-containing products are in the

market• Asbestos-containing materials are common in buildings• Human activities may have produced contaminated

soils• Soils and rocks may contain asbestos naturally• New European Directive on asbestos at work

The Directive

DIRECTIVE 2003/18/EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL

OF 27 March 2003

amending Council Directive 83/477 on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to asbestos at

work

Council Conclusions 7.4.1998

2. The Council also notes that:

(a) the highest risks are now faced by workers involved in the removal of asbestos, and by workers who encounter asbestos incidentally to their work, in particular, on the maintenance and servicing of, for example, buildings, plants, ships and trains

Council Conclusion 7.4.1998

(b) For the first group of workers, higher standards of worker protection can be achieved if workers and employers involved in work with asbestos have demonstrated their competence to carry out such work, and are subject to specific control regimes and training arrangements;

Council Conclusion 7.4.1998

(c) for second group of workers, higher standards of protection can be achieved if they have prior knowledge of the presence of asbestos and appropriate training;

In preparation

Amendment of the Council of State Decree on asbestos at work

Shall be brought into force by 15 April 2006

Draft proposal

• Field of application• Exposure assessment• Monitoring exposure• Maximum allowable daily exposure• Asbestos removal work

Draft proposal 2 §

Field of application

This Decree shall be applied to work which causes or may cause exposure to asbestos …

Air concentrations of asbestos

• Remote area 0,000 01 f/ml

• Urban area 0,000 1 f/ml• Asbestos-containing 0,001 f/ml

building

• Criteria for sufficiently 0,01 f/mlcleaned building

• Maximum allowed 0,1 f/ml daily exposure

Building occupantsC1 General occupants, who spend time in buildings but who are

unlikely to disturb asbestos in place; for example, office workers.

C2 Custodians and/or janitors, who may cause increased levels of airborne asbestos fibres as a result of housekeeping activities.

C3 Skilled maintenance workers, whose activities may disturb and displace asbestos-containing materials.

C4 Workers who are responsible for removal or remediation of asbestos-containing materials.

C5 Emergency personnel who may be required to enter buildings during and after extensive damage, for example, fire fighters.

Soils and rocks

Addison (1988)

Soils containing 0,001 % asbestos could generate 0,01 – 0,02 f/cm3 asbestos in the air in a dust cloud

of 5 mg/m3

Soils and rocks

C6 Work with contaminated soilC7 Work with soil containing asbestos

naturallyC8 Road buildingC9 Mining, quarrying, crushing rocks

Draft proposal 5 §

Exposure assessment

The employer shall assess the risk of exposure to asbestos dust in such a way as to determine the nature and degree of workers’ exposure

Exposure

• NegligibleBreathing air concentration of asbestos daily < 0.01 f/cm3

as 8 hour average

• MildBreathing air concentration of asbestos may occasionally rise up to but not over 0,1 f/cm3 as 8 hour average

• SevereBreathing air concentration of asbestos may rise occasionally over 0,1 f/cm3 as 8 hour average

Reduction of exposure 6 §

The exposure of workers to asbestos dust must be reduced to a minimum and in any case below the limit value.

Maximum allowable daily exposure

• 1976 2 f/cm3

• 1987 0,5 f/cm3

• 1994 0,3 f/cm3

• 2006 0,1 f/cm3

as 8 hours average

Asbestos removal work• Authorisation• Training• Medical examination of the workers• Notification of the asbestos removal work with a

workplan to the competent authority• Enclosed working area • Air ventilation system with a HEPA filter• Vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter• Protective clothing• Power assisted full facemask respirators

Mesotheliomas and use of asbestos in Finland