Asbestos found on St John's Island

[Mason016]

Asbestos found on St John's Island, more than half the island sealed.

 

SINGAPORE - Debris containing a potentially toxic mineral was recently found on St John's Island, leading the authorities to seal off more than half of the island as a safety precaution.

Traces of asbestos had been detected on April 16 in construction debris such as roof tiles around the island's campsite, lagoon and holiday bungalow area, the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) announced at a media briefing on Monday.

 

http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/asbestos-found-on-st-johns-island-more-than-half-of-the-island-sealed

[Watwheels]

Probably dumped from neighbouring country.

[DACH]

Is there any old buildings there?

Could be from those old buildings.

[Kxbc]

Probably from old buildings when asbestos were not deemed unfit for use.

 

Info from watching too many home renovation programs.

[Silver_blade]

Probably from old building. A lot of school built prior to the mid-80's have it...usually used for ceiling or wall.

 

[kdash]

from the article...

 

"Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral which was commonly used as a construction material in the past. The use of asbestos in building materials has been banned in Singapore since 1989 due to concerns about health risks."

Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/st-johns-island-closed-asbestos-found-10167430

[Mustank]

Heng boh tio hey sio

Once fire burn all these allbesto, ho seh liao

[Camrysfa]

Poor chap, but the hurdle is proving the link......

 

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/technician-sues-psa-over-lung-cancer

 

Two years ago, Mr Ajit Singh hardly broke a sweat when he exercised every other day by brisk walking around the Telok Blangah estate where he lives.

 

Now, the 57-year-old shuttles in and out of hospital and feels breathless walking from the bedroom of his five-room Housing Board flat to the kitchen. The technician said he has lung cancer from exposure to asbestos particles. He has sued his employer PSA Corporation in the High Court for exposing him to asbestos that caused the lung cancer.

 

Asbestos was in the news last week when the authorities sealed off more than half of St John's Island from the public after construction debris containing the toxic mineral was found.

 

Asbestos is a fibrous mineral that was once a popular component in construction and insulation materials. Long-term exposure to asbestos is linked to illnesses such as lung cancer. Its use was banned in Singapore in 1989.

 

According to court papers seen by The Sunday Times, Mr Singh was employed by the former Port of Singapore Authority, a statutory board, in or around 1980.

 

He continued to be employed by PSA when the statutory board became a Temasek Holdings-linked private corporation in October 1997.

 

Mr Singh said in court papers that his duties required him to service and replace insulation material covering the exhaust systems of power units of cranes at the port.

 

The power pack of the crane contains the exhaust, which is lined with asbestos which could be damaged or worn out," he claimed.

 

He also alleged that workers were neither told of the risks nor given proper training or equipment when they handled asbestos.

They were given masks that did not protect them from the asbestos, he claimed.

 

In his lawsuit, Mr Singh also named Gethin-Jones Medical Practice, PSA's appointed clinic for maintenance workers, as a defendant.

The clinic should have detected the lung cancer earlier during annual check-ups, he claimed.

The medical reports in Mr Singh's lawsuit said that he was found to have lung cancer early last year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[DACH]

USA bans on Asbestos.

 

https://www.epa.gov/asbestos/us-federal-bans-asbestos