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Japanese Government to Monitor 2 Million Buildings for Asbestos
By asbestoshub | August 13, 2008
The Japan Times has reported that the Japanese Government plans to expand biannual checks on the management of asbestos, from the current 260,000 buildings to about 2 million. The checks would possibly start on March 2009, to cover almost all private-sector facilities nationwide.
The Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry will examine with local officials the 2 million buildings to lessen public anxiety over health hazards caused by asbestos, the sources said.
The infrastructure ministry broadened the targets of the survey following a recommendation issued in December 2007 by the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry.
The facilities will include retail shops and hotels but exclude wooden facilities, single-family homes and schools, which fall under the responsibility of other ministries, they said.
The infrastructure ministry’s checks currently target large facilities, including factories that have a floor space of more than 1,000 sq. meters and were built between 1956 and 1989.
Among the 2 million facilities, the ministry will prioritize examinations of buildings that were constructed before 1975, the year when regulations on use of asbestos were tightened. Facilities where a large number of people have access will also take priority, they said.
In December 2007, that ministry revealed the results of its own sample survey on the management of asbestos at small private businesses. It found that seven out of 42 buildings, or 16.7 percent, left asbestos exposed to the air.
Topics: Exposure |
