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Thousands of people still die every year from the consequences of asbestos exposure, even 20 or 30 years after the event. The marketing, handling and use of asbestos-containing products are banned. Nevertheless, the practical problem remains of preventing exposure to asbestos in the course of removal, demolition, servicing and maintenance activities. Furthermore, in an age of close economic ties and globalization, we need to take care not to import asbestos-containing materials. Asbestos causes sickness and is held responsible for the deaths of 100,000 people worldwide, each year. Despite the fact the EU banned asbestos in 2005, it is still of strong relevance to safety and health at work. Therefore, on 1 September 2006, the EU Commission and the Senior Labour Inspectors Committee (SLIC) launched the EU asbestos campaign, "Asbestos is deadly serious - prevent exposure", in 25 Member States. The ILO and EU jointly promoted the asbestos campaign on 30 August 2006 on the occasion of a press conference held in Helsinski during Finland's Presidency of the European Commission. Dr. Takala, Director of ILO SafeWork, explained that "some 40 countries have decided to ban the use of asbestos, but still, two million tons of asbestos continue to be used largely in countries of transition and developing countries, endangering the lives of millions of workers". Dr. Brückner, the German EU representative and Member of the SLIC, added that "despite the regulations, the practical problem remains of exposure to asbestos in the course of removal, demolition, servicing and maintenance activities and that attention is needed in order not to counteract the efforts already made by re-importing asbestos-containing materials". To prevent these asbestos hazards, the EU has a clear and distinct policy, comprising preventive legislation, information and awareness-raising activities, cooperation with stakeholders and coordinated implementation, enforcement and monitoring. During the campaign period, the labour inspectors of the 25 EU Member States will carry out inspections with a focus on asbestos to ensure compliance with the legislation in place and they will report on the extent to which workplaces have implemented national legislation and EU directives regarding asbestos. SLIC has published A practical guide on best practice to prevent or minimise asbestos risks in work that involves (or may involve) asbestos (in PDF) including special sections for the target groups of employers, workers and labour inspectors. This publication is available in 20 languages. The SLIC guide on asbestos, the target guides for employees, employer and labour inspectors and more information about the EU asbestos campaign can be found at:
To pursue the goal of a universal ban on asbestos, the 95th Session of the International Labour Conference (ILC) held in June 2006 adopted a resolution calling for the elimination of the use of asbestos and asbestos-containing materials, both now and in the future, as the best means of preventing asbestos-related diseases and deaths. The resolution is designed to bolster existing ILO Conventions related to asbestos and other carcinogenic substances, in particular the Occupational Cancer Convention, 1974 (No. 139) and the Asbestos Convention, 1986 (No. 162). The resolution concerning asbestos can be found on page 69 of the Report of the Committee on Safety and Health by following the link below, which also leads to the text of the new Convention and Recommendation concerning the Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health:
The ILO press release concerning asbestos can be found at:
To view the text of the new ILO Convention on the Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health adopted at the ILC in June 2006, please click here:
The Asbestos campaign page at the Agency's Website is now live. Please see:
The SLIC campaigns can now also be accessed via the 'Campaigns' page under
European SLIC campaigns.
To view the HVBG press release, please click here:
Updated by CD. Approved by GA/GS. Last update: 28.09.2006.
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