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 17factories manufacturing materials containing asbestos.

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Imported Chrysotile in ThailandImported Chrysotile in Thailand

Ton (1000 Kg)

Year

(Jan-Oct)

Law and regulation related to asbestos

Divided asbestos into 2 groups1. Chrysotile, hazardous substance type 3,

are allowed to import, produce, export or possess.

2.Crocidolite 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.

Ministry of IndustryHazardous substance Act B.E. 2535

The factories shall have dust control measure, safehandling 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 / tremolitein the workplace shall not exceed 5 fibers/cm3.

Asbestos related diseases in Thailand

Asbestos related diseases have never been reportedin 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’ historyLong incubation period before developing diseasesLack of effective health surveillance program

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

Bureau of Occupational and environmental Diseases,Ministry of Public Health, conducted survey in 20factories 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.

Factory typeFactory type Number Number of of factoryfactory

Asbestos in working Asbestos in working area (f/cmarea (f/cm33))

Asbestos exposureAsbestos exposure

Personal samples Personal samples (f/cm(f/cm33))

19871987 19881988 19871987 19881988

Roof tileRoof tile 77 0.100.100.14 0.14 0.00-0.680.00-0.68

0.510.512.39 2.39 0.00-12.000.00-12.00

0.180.180.29 0.29 0.00-1.110.00-1.11

0.140.14 0.20.21 1 0.00-0.00-

0.750.75

Cement pipeCement pipe 22 0.13 0.13 0.13 0.13 0.00-0.340.00-0.34

0.120.12 1.33 1.33 0.91 0.91 0.12-2.130.12-2.13

0.250.25

Vinyl floor tileVinyl floor tile 11 0.04 0.04 0.08 0.08 0.00-0.290.00-0.29

00 0.04 0.04 0.070.07

0.00-0.180.00-0.18

00

Asphalt Asphalt undercoat undercoat and acrylic and acrylic paintspaints

33 0.03 0.03 0.030.03

0.00-0.080.00-0.08

0.09 0.09 0.230.23

0.00-0.580.00-0.58

0.03 0.03 0.030.03

0.00-0.060.00-0.06

0.480.48

Brake and Brake and clutchclutch

77 1.20 1.20 2.062.06

0.00-9.260.00-9.26

0.56 0.56 0.900.90

0.00-4.440.00-4.44

3.06 3.06 10.1210.12

0.01-58.460.01-58.46

0.810.810.960.96

0.00-3.730.00-3.73

Asbestos in working environment, mean SD, Range, SD, Range, by the division of Occupational Health, Ministry of Public Health.

Factory Factory typetype

Number Number of of samplesample

Asbestos exposureAsbestos exposure

Personal samples (f/cmPersonal samples (f/cm33))

Mean Mean SD SD RangeRange

Roof tileRoof tile 1313 0.81 0.81 0.72 0.72 0.01- 2.20.01- 2.2

Cement pipeCement pipe 44 0.94 0.94 0.81 0.81 0.26 - 2.10.26 - 2.1

Brake-padBrake-pad 7777 6.93 6.93 8.19 8.19 0.24 – 43.310.24 – 43.31

ClutchClutch 1313 1.45 1.45 0.65 0.65 0.62 – 2.410.62 – 2.41

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.

Asbestos in working environment conducted by Department of Industrial Works, Ministry of Industry, in 2001.

Factory Factory typetype

Number Number of of samplesample

Asbestos exposureAsbestos exposure

Personal samples (f/cmPersonal samples (f/cm33))

Mean Mean SD SD RangeRange

Roof tile and Roof tile and cement pipecement pipe

44 0.09 0.09 0.21 0.21 0.01- 0.770.01- 0.77

Brake-clutchBrake-clutch 2525 1.07 1.07 3.11 3.11 0.01 – 25.710.01 – 25.71

Department of Occupational Health and Safety,Faculty of Public Health, Mahidol University,conducted research to reduce asbestos exposurein 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.

Asbestos in Working Environment during Transportation of Asbestos from Container to Silo

Job type/Job type/

AreaArea

Number Number of of samplesample

Type of Type of sampling*sampling*

Asbestos concentration Asbestos concentration (f/cm(f/cm33))

Mean Mean SDSD RangeRange

SiloSilo 88 AA 0.00580.00580.0.010010

0.0-0.0-0.0270.027

ForklifForklift t driverdriver

33 PP 0.00430.00430.0.00850085

0.0-0.0-0.0170.017

Note * P = personal sampling, A = Area sampling

Asbestos in Working Environment during roof tile manufacturing process in 4 factories in 2002

Job type/Job type/

AreaArea

Number Number of of samplesample

Type of Type of samplingsampling**

Asbestos concentration Asbestos concentration (f/cm(f/cm33))

Mean Mean SDSD RangeRange

Lifting of Lifting of asbestos bagasbestos bag

44 PP 0.0430.0430.0430.043 0.003-0.003-0.0750.075

Conveyor area

44 AA 0.0210.0210.0260.026 0.0-0.0270.0-0.027

ManufacturinManufacturing processg process

99 AA 0.008 0.008 0.0090.009

0.0-0.0270.0-0.027

* P = personal sampling, A = Area sampling

Risk of Participants developing cancer from materialscontaining asbestos in 60 office buildings and 76 homes

The risk of participants developing cancer from working in office building using materialscontaining 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 materialscontaining asbestos was 8.83 x 10-4.

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 andimplemented 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.