Category: News

Representing the Montreal-based Chrysotile Institute the author attended the 5th Conference of the parties of the Rotterdam convention that deals with the international trade of dangerous chemicals that was held in Geneva, June 20-24.

Geneva, June 22, 2011 – The International Trade Union Movement for Chrysotile, representing hundreds of thousands of workers from the mines, mills and factories that produce chrysotile products, as well as the workers from the companies that support this activity, voice their strong opposition to the inclusion of chrysotile in Annex III of the Rotterdam Convention. These workers are primarily from countries such as Brazil, Russia, India, China, Kazakhstan, Kirghistan, Canada, Mexico, Peru, Ecuador, and Columbia, Bolivia.

Vermiculite was used in insulation products in many Canadian and American houses. A good part of that vermiculite, sold in North America, was extracted from a mine where the ore naturally contained a small percentage of asbestos tremolite, an amphibole.

On September 18th 2004, the Member States of the Rotterdam Convention refused to include chrysotile in the Prior Informed Consent procedure.

In the face of information that Asbestos Cement roofing sheet (AC roofing sheet) can cause bad effect to the health of worker, even lung cancer, labor and health organizations officially raise their voice.

In the afternoon of March 07th, in Hanoi, Mr. Dang Ngoc Tung – member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party, Chairman of Vietnam General Confederation of Labor had a discussion with the delegation of Construction and Building Materials Industry Workers’ Union of the Russian Federation leaded by Mr. Boris Soshenko.

Having lots of preeminent features such as durable, tough, heat-proof, insulated, sound-proof, possible to bear friction and impact forces, etc. Chrysotile is considered as useful input material in the production of over 3,000 products applying in the field of construction material, friction bearing products like friction-band, buffer, variety types of heat-roof fabrics and clothes, aviation industry, and pharmaceutical industry.

On March 09th, in Hanoi, Construction Material Department – International Cooperation Department (Ministry of Construction) coordinated with International Alliance of Chrysotile Trade Union Organizations to organize the workshop “Safe and responsible use of Chrysotile”.

People often hear about the use of chrysotile asbestos in the manufacture of asbestos cement roof sheet as well as its effect on the health of the workers. Nevertheless, if objective view of asbestos is adopted, there are surely many questions that concerned authorities and scientists need to answer.

People often think of Asbestos as the cause for cancer, but in reality, scientists have proved that chrysotile asbestos is not a trigger of cancer and still the material used for producing low cost roof sheets.

For many years, majority of Vietnamese people have referred chrysotile as only an input material for producing fiber cement roof sheet so that missing out on its useful applications. Chrysotile – cement pipe seemed to be well-know in Russia, France, Thailand…

Chrysotile – cement pipes have been applied widely and played important role in drinking water piping system in many countries over the world. Is that risk-free for health?

Asbestos is a commercial term to indicate any fibrous mineral with a fibrous form. Historically, the word asbestos comes from the Greek meaning inextinguishable, or indestructible. Being best known for its properties of strong, flexible, and heat resistant, asbestos has been used since ancient times.

The historical flood caused heavy human losses and made thousands of people homeless in provinces of Quang Binh, Ha Tinh, Nghe An, Quang Tri and so on. In order to help the flood hit households in Quang Binh to quickly stabilize their lives after the natural disaster, Vietnam National Roofsheet Association organized the “Assistance for flood victims in Quang Binh province” with a budget of VND 400 million donated by chrysotile cement roof sheet factories, traders, chrysotile producers. This was the Vietnam National Roofsheet Association’s annual activity under the theme “Social responsibility” and signified the spirit “Mutual affection and mutual love”, “Intact leaves wrap torn leaves” of the association.