The British approach to asbestos standard setting: 1898–2000

Abstract

For the better part of a hundred years, confidence was misplaced in the ability of process engineers and physicians to protect workers against asbestos. Finally, deciding that asbestos was neither technologically nor economically essential, and was unsafe in use, Europe issued a Directive, to which Britain will conform, that will virtually ban it use throughout the Community by 2006.

Are occupational exposure limits becoming more alike within the European Union?

“…Hansson (1998a), which includes a review of the Swedish OELs from 1969 to 1992. Greenberg (2004) made a review of the documentation of British asbestos exposure limits from 1898 to 2000 and Markowitz and Rosner (1995) reviewed the TLV for silica from 1935 to 1990. Both these studies show that the OELs are lowered as more information on adverse effects becomes available and the protection of workers' health is given higher priority.…”

Wood production, wood technology, and biotechnological impacts

“…Non-plant fibres include natural asbestos fibres and man-made glass fibres, rock wool, and other mineral fibres. Asbestos fibres served for over 100 years as insulation and fire prevention material but have been banned by now in many although not all countries by the high incidences of chronic bronchitis, lung fibrosis, and lung cancers provoked by the material (Osinubi et al 2000, Greenberg 2004, Joshi et al 2006. Asbestos fibres have been replaced in insulation and fire prevention material in some cases by wood fibres (Negro et al 2005) and other low cost natural fibres (Savastano et al 2004) but more often by man-made vitreous fibres (MMVF) (Christensen et al 1993) being considered as relatively innocuous to human health (Hesterberg & Hart 2001).…”