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Question:
Sir,
Question No. 6
Answer by Hon. CHAN Nai-keong, CBE, JP, Secretary for Lands & Works, to question by Hon. HO Sai-chu, MBE, JP, at Legislative Council on 12 March, 1986
In the Government's efforts to control the use of asbestos and any substance containing asbestos in buildings, will Government inform this Council whether it has any plans or measures to ensure the safety of persons who frequent buildings which contain extensively asbestos-related materials?
As Members will be aware from the recent debate in this Council concerning the Factories and Industrial Undertakings (Asbestos) Special Regulations 1986, by far the greatest potential danger from asbestos is to workers involved in manufacturing, construction or demolition processes. In such operations, when the material is subject to pulverisation, high impact, or when it is worked in a loose state, asbestos fibres can be freely released into the air in large amounts. The new regulations will safeguard the health of workers against these hazards. In contrast, under normal conditions, in completed buildings which contain asbestos- related products, the health risk is very low. For example, in Hong Kong, the highest recorded levels so far are 3 nanograms per cubic metre which is well within the safe levels of 7000
nanograms per cubic metre as laid down in the Code of Practice.
(A nanogram is one billionth of a gram).
This is not to say that Government is in any way complacent about the situation. The use of loose, friable asbestos building products such as sprayed acoustic plaster or thermal lagging is not now allowed in Government building contracts. Last year, a Practice Note was issued to Authorized Persons and Registered Structural Engineers strongly warning them against the use of asbestos materials in new buildings, and recommending precautionary measures for the safety of construction workers. The new asbestos Regulations ban the use in any form of the more harmful blue and brown asbestos, and totally prohibit the spraying of any substance containing asbestos. Furthermore, amendments to the Building Regulations are in hand to exclude the use of all asbestos-related materials from permitted materials under the Regulations. These Regulations are expected to come into effect before the end of this year.