Abstract Top
Poster Sessions
    Friday 19, November, 2004, 12:30-18:30, (16:00-17:00, Q&A) No.3 CR
Saturday 20, November, 2004, 09:30-18:30, (16:00-17:00, Q&A) No.3 CR
  Sunday 21, November, 2004, 09:30-12:30, No.3 CR

Poster Sessions
Elimination of Asbestos and Asbestos-Containing Products Used in Poland" Government Program
Stanislawa Szalucha
Ministry of Economy, Labour and Social Policy, Poland
ABSTRACT

Asbestos was used in the manufacture of about 3,000 industrial products, mainly construction materials (at least about 85%) such as roofing boards, siding boards or tubing throughout the last century in Poland. The total amount of asbestos products in Poland is estimated at about 15,000 thousand tons of 14,900 thousand tons are the asbestos-cements boards (1,351,500 thousand m2), the remaining 600 thousand tons being pipes and other asbestos-cements products.
Now it is well known that exposure to asbestos dust may cause asbestosis, lung cancer, pleural mesothelioma or benign pleural changes.
Starting from 1997, the former Ministry of Economy carried out a number of surveys and expert analyses to provide the necessary basis of the program of withdrawing asbestos from the economy, especially from the building industry. In May 2002, the Council of Ministers (the Cabinet) adopted for implementation a Program for removal of asbestos and asbestos containing products from the area of Poland.

Objectives of the Program are following:
  • Cleaning area of Poland from asbestos waste and removing the long used products containing asbestos.
  • Elimination of the negative effects of asbestos on health of the population in Poland.
  • Reduction of asbestos influence on natural environment.
  • Creation of adequate conditions for implementation of the EU regulations and procedures regards the asbestos-containing materials.
The main task of the Program is to define the conditions for successive removal and storage of the asbestos-containing materials as well as removal of the asbestos-containing products is unavoidably connected with production of waste and the only way to neutralise the waste is to store it. The problem of neutralising asbestos and asbestos containing products stored at the existing and new landfills will be solved upon implementation of Directive 1999/31/EC re storage of waste materials.

Advantages expected during execution of the program
  • Decrease incidence of asbestos related diseases and mortality in Poland.
  • Clean Polish area from long used asbestos-contained materials.
  • Rise peoples awareness concerning asbestos threat for their life and health.
  • Liquidate of asbestos influence on natural environment.