Historic Canadian Asbestos Ban! Civil society groups from around the world have warmly welcomed the news that the Canadian government is to outlaw the use of asbestos

http://ibasecretariat.org/press-release-historic-canadian-asbestos-ban.pdf 

PSI AP Local Government and Utilities Network Co-Ordinator Greg Mclean has hailed the Canadian Government Asbestos Ban as significant not just for North America, but also for the Asia Pacific Region as its add to the support to " shut  asbestos down " across the Asia Pacific Region ... the remarks are part of the work of the PSI AP Local Government and Utilities meeting outcomes. Some past asbestos news items are blow or available from the ' Health & Safety " topic at blog http://gmpsiaprec.blogspot.com 

http://gmpsiaprec.blogspot.com.au/2016/12/asbestos-action-outcome-of-recent-psi.html

http://gmpsiaprec.blogspot.com.au/2016/10/psi-asia-pacific-local-government-and.html

http://gmpsiaprec.blogspot.com.au/2016/10/asbestos-building-products-being.html 

PSI AP affiliates are not just concern with asbestos being used in a range of products, but the undisputed fact that Local Government and Utilities Workers , not only face the hazard in their work but post Natural disaster cleanups, aging infrastructure, illegal dumping and more mean Local Government ,Water and Electricity (Utility) Workers, can be amongst the highest at risk Public Services Workers.

The Canadian step , including a reminder of the Asian Region by UNION AID arm APHEDA - , CEO Hazards is outlined in media release http://ibasecretariat.org/press-release-historic-canadian-asbestos-ban.pdf 

 "  Historic Canadian Asbestos Ban ! Civil society groups from around the world have warmly welcomed the news that the Canadian government is to outlaw the use of asbestos.

 The fact that Canada, one-time leader in the production of chrysotile (white) asbestos, has taken this step is the latest victory for the global campaign to ban asbestos. The significance of Canada’s U-turn is enormous as it was the Canadian Government which brought a case against the French asbestos ban to the World Trade Organization, 

Reacting to news of the ban, Sugio Furuya of the Asian Ban Asbestos Network (ABAN), paid tribute: “to all those who worked so hard to reverse Canada’s asbestos policy. On behalf of ABAN, I would like to congratulate the Canadian asbestos victims, campaigners, trade unionists, doctors, scientists, politicians, journalists and others whose efforts have resulted in this momentuous change.” 

This is a landmark development and tribute to the thousands of workers and families who have died and continue to suffer across the world. 

For the workers’ movement, the battle for a global ban continues.” UK and Australian activists are urging Justin Trudeau’s government to support initiatives to minimize deadly asbestos exposures with Executive Officer Kate Lee of Australia’s Union Aid Abroad (APHEDA) highlighting the potent risks posed by continuing asbestos use in the industrializing world: 

“Asia is a dumping ground for a rapacious industry that will not stop – despite overwhelming global evidence that asbestos kills and is a major health and economic cost to a country, the asbestos industry lobby will stop at nothing to turn a profit at the expense of human life through extensive asbestos manufacturing across Asia. We now need to mobilize this new commitment of the Canadian government to drive asbestos from the poorest countries on the planet. If we banned asbestos globally today, we know hundreds of thousands of lives would be saved.” 

Speaking on behalf of the Asbestos Victims Support Groups Forum UK, Chairperson Graham Dring echoed Ms. Lee’s call to arms expressing the hope that Canada, one-time asbestos denier, would now support United Nations action under the Rotterdam Convention to impose regulations on the global asbestos trade. The Canadian asbestos ban is a harbinger of things to come; in the 21st century, the time is past when a dangerous and discredited technology can be allowed to endanger the lives of innocent populations. We call for justice for all those injured or killed by asbestos poisoning, an immediate and comprehensive international ban on asbestos, government action to remediate asbestos contamination of national infrastructures and a recategorization of the asbestos industry as persona non grata by international agencies, national governments and decision makers around the world. " 

Read the full story at http://ibasecretariat.org/press-release-historic-canadian-asbestos-ban.pdf