Leszek Deja, Jerzy Dyczek, Stanislawa Szalucha and Neonila Szeszenia-Dabrowska

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• Leszek Deja, Jerzy Dyczek, Stanislawa Szalucha
  and Neonila Szeszenia-Dabrowska
• Country report
• Asbestos Issues in Poland

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• In Poland since 1997 import, production and
  trading of asbestos and asbestos-containing
  materials has been prohibited according to the
  parliamentary
• Act on the Ban of Use of Asbestos-Containing
  Products of June 19th 1997

Reference Centrefor Asbestos Exposure
HealthRisk Assessment
Neonila Szeszenia-Dabrowska, NIOM, Lodz, Poland
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• In Poland about 85 of asbestos is locatedin
  constraction materials
• The total quantity of asbestos-productsis
  estimated to be approximately
• 15.5 mln tonnes
• of which 14.9 mln - asbestoscement sheets
• 0.6 mln - pipes and other products

Reference Centrefor Asbestos Exposure
HealthRisk Assessment
Neonila Szeszenia-Dabrowska, NIOM, Lodz, Poland
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Reference Centrefor Asbestos Exposure
HealthRisk Assessment
Neonila Szeszenia-Dabrowska, NIOM, Lodz, Poland
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Reference Centrefor Asbestos Exposure
HealthRisk Assessment
Neonila Szeszenia-Dabrowska, NIOM, Lodz, Poland
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Reference Centrefor Asbestos Exposure
HealthRisk Assessment
Neonila Szeszenia-Dabrowska, NIOM, Lodz, Poland
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Reference Centrefor Asbestos Exposure
HealthRisk Assessment
Neonila Szeszenia-Dabrowska, NIOM, Lodz, Poland
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Accumulation of asbestos containing products by
voivodships (in million tonnes)
Reference Centrefor Asbestos Exposure
HealthRisk Assessment
Neonila Szeszenia-Dabrowska, NIOM, Lodz, Poland
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Legal regulations
The issues on asbestos are placed in almost 20
different legal regulations, including
parliamentary bills and orders The most
important acts and orders regulating production,
import, disposalof hazardous waste, environment
and health effect of asbestos are

• Act on the Ban of Use of Asbestos and
  Asbestos-containing Products (1997)
• Waste Act (2001)
• Environmental Protection Act (2001)
• Order issued by the Minister of Health on
  Occupational Carcinogensand Surveilance of
  Health Status of Exposed Workers (1996)
• Order issued by the Minister of Economy on Safe
  Use and Utilizationof Asbestos-containing
  Products (1998)
• Order issued by the Ministry of Labour on Roules
  and Trainingin Occupational Hygiene and Safety
  during Removal of Asbestos-containing Products
  (1998)

Reference Centrefor Asbestos Exposure
HealthRisk Assessment
Neonila Szeszenia-Dabrowska, NIOM, Lodz, Poland
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Legal regulations

All EU Directives regarding asbestos have been
already implemented in Poland. The 18th Directive
is to be implemented until April 2006
Reference Centrefor Asbestos Exposure
HealthRisk Assessment
Neonila Szeszenia-Dabrowska, NIOM, Lodz, Poland
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• Government Project on the
• Elimination of Asbestosand Asbestos-Containing
  Products Used in Poland
• 2002 - 2032

Reference Centrefor Asbestos Exposure
HealthRisk Assessment
Neonila Szeszenia-Dabrowska, NIOM, Lodz, Poland
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The objectives of the Programme are following

• Elimination of asbestos products from all-Polish
  territory
• Diminishing adverse effects of asbestos
  exposureon population health and adoption of
  necessary preventive measures
• Alleviation of the environmental impact of
  asbestos
• Providing conditions for compliance with EU
  regulations regarding asbestos contained products

Reference Centrefor Asbestos Exposure
HealthRisk Assessment
Neonila Szeszenia-Dabrowska, NIOM, Lodz, Poland
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The Programs tasks is designed to be carried out
on three levels

• Central level - the Cabinet, Minister for
  Economic Affairs and Labour, and withinthe
  ministry, the Chief Coordinatorof the Program
• Voivodeship level - the voivodesand the
  voivodeship self-governments
• Local level - the local self-governmentsthe
  county (powiat) and municipality (gmina)

Reference Centrefor Asbestos Exposure
HealthRisk Assessment
Neonila Szeszenia-Dabrowska, NIOM, Lodz, Poland
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Major obstacles that may hinder project
implementation

• Low level of public awareness of asbestos hazard
  and of conditions for safe handling of asbestos
  containing materials
• Low economic standard of the Polish society,
  particularly of the owners of farmhouses with
  asbestos containing materials in rural districts
• Lack of logistic solutions and financial
  resources to support the elimination of asbestos
  products
• Low accessibility of structural support from EU
  resources

Reference Centrefor Asbestos Exposure
HealthRisk Assessment
Neonila Szeszenia-Dabrowska, NIOM, Lodz, Poland
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Directions of future activities

• organisation of training for the civil service
  and local authorities
• educational activities via public media and
  distribution of printed materials
• establishment of associations of the owners of
  buildings containing asbestos materials
• providing assistance with respect to applications
  for fundingfrom national and external resources
  for environmental protection, including
  establishment of counseling offices at local
  administration units
• extension of crediting opportunities offered by
  commercial banks
• further development of health care for workers
  exposed to asbestos and asbestos victims

Reference Centrefor Asbestos Exposure
HealthRisk Assessment
Neonila Szeszenia-Dabrowska, NIOM, Lodz, Poland
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Asbestos-induced occupational diseases in Poland
in 1990-2004
Reference Centrefor Asbestos Exposure
HealthRisk Assessment
Neonila Szeszenia-Dabrowska, NIOM, Lodz, Poland
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Health protection for asbestos exposed workers
The health care covers the present and former
asbestos workers accordingto Labour Code

Reference Centrefor Asbestos Exposure
HealthRisk Assessment
Neonila Szeszenia-Dabrowska, NIOM, Lodz, Poland
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The Amiantus Project

• The Minister of Health in 1999 year established a
  program of prophylactic medical examinations
  called the Amiantus Project
• All the former workers of the 28 Polish
  asbestos-processing plants specified in the Act
  are entitled to periodic medical examinations and
  complimentary medications designedto treat
  asbestos-related diseases

Reference Centrefor Asbestos Exposure
HealthRisk Assessment
Neonila Szeszenia-Dabrowska, NIOM, Lodz, Poland
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The main tasks of the Amiantus Project are as
follows

• Implementation of a standardised method for
  medical examinations, as well as providing
  relevant training and consultancy
• Monitoring adverse respiratory effects in workers
  occupationally exposed to asbestos dust
• Running a central register of workers exposedto
  asbestos
• Running a database on the results of prophylactic
  examinations

Reference Centrefor Asbestos Exposure
HealthRisk Assessment
Neonila Szeszenia-Dabrowska, NIOM, Lodz, Poland
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Asbestosis in Poland in 1979-2004
Reference Centrefor Asbestos Exposure
HealthRisk Assessment
Neonila Szeszenia-Dabrowska, NIOM, Lodz, Poland
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Asbestos-induced lung cancer vs. all occupational
lung cancers in Poland in 1990-2004
Reference Centrefor Asbestos Exposure
HealthRisk Assessment
Neonila Szeszenia-Dabrowska, NIOM, Lodz, Poland
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• Thank you for your attention

Reference Centrefor Asbestos Exposure
HealthRisk Assessment
Neonila Szeszenia-Dabrowska, NIOM, Lodz, Poland