Death by Imports !

Back in the 1980's Australia took a massive step in public safety when it banned the use of asbestos. There was scarcely a house in this entire country that was not riddled with at least a degree of asbestos in its building materials.  The outer surface of many homes was clad in asbestos/cement sheeting, and this same product was used for internal lining in kitchens, laundry and bathrooms.  In thicker grade is was the base for wet areas and even in corrugated form it was used as a roofing material - and it had been the mainstay of the building trade for many decades.

This asbestos was deemed safe because it was bonded with cement to form a sheet, but the danger came when that sheet was worked - by drilling or sawing.  Released asbestos particles floated in the air and when breathed into the lungs can cause Mesothelioma, which results in a protracted and agonisng death.  It cost the building products industry millions to replace asbestos and many tradespeople thought the new product inferior to the old asbestos/cement sheet.

Today, we are constantly warning people living in homes built before the 1980's to be very careful when doing renovations.  Even a simple task like drilling a hole in an asbestos/cement sheet to run a wire can release deadly asbestos fibres.   Demolition of such older homes must be done by a licensed asbestos removal contractor and the sheets are wet down to reduce the hazard and safely disposed of in pits immediately covered with soil.

This Australian ban was much wider than just building products.  Asbestos was the main component in car brake linings and every time a car braked the friction released asbestos fibres.  Mechanics working on cars were in danger of Mesothelioma.  Asbestos was used in a multitude of products and was widespread in the marine industry, where it was deemed the perfect insulation for steam pipes in ships.

Strangely, this Australian asbestos ban was not duplicated in many other countries.  Some placed lesser restrictions on asbestos products, while others made no changes at all.   We are now seeing the result of that inertia coming home to this country with asbestos making a reappearance in many imported building materials and similar products.

CFMEU officials have sounded the warning that asbestos is appearing in building products imported into the country and which have been used in constructions in Brisbane and Perth.  In part, this is a result of the "Globalization "phenomenon where major companies in places like America and Russia - which do not have asbestos restrictions - contract for their world products to be manufactured in low wage Asian countries and exported from there on a wide basis.

This is compounded when those Asian manufacturers decide to produce their own brand of a similar product for export.  They obviously look for the cheapest base material to make their product price competitive, and asbestos falls into that low end price range.  Rarely would the asbestos get a mention in any brochure that accompanies the goods.

The sheer volume flowing in over our wharves makes detailed inspections impossible.  The building trade is always looking for the best price to remain competitive and we are now seeing vast amounts of asbestos circumventing the bans we have in place.  In the majority of cases, the buyer would have no reason to suspect that asbestos is present in the product they are buying.

It is certainly a point for our trade commissioners to ponder.   Perhaps a need for a statutory declaration to accompany any import guaranteeing it is asbestos free, with a substantial fine and withdrawal of future import licenses for discovery of non  compliance !