Japanese officials say they are setting up an
asbestos education program to protect workers clearing debris from the March 11
earthquake and tsunami.
Asbestos, once widely used as a construction
material, can cause mesothelioma and lung cancer. It can take up to 30 years
for the diseases to develop.
“We hope they will work with the danger
of asbestos in mind,” an official with the health ministry said.
The educational program will tap a variety of
scholars and leaders of non-profit organizations knowledgeable about asbestos,
the Yomiuri Shimbun reported Thursday.
Asbestos control instructors will be assigned
to local labor inspection offices to oversee and consult with workers and
volunteers removing debris from areas damaged by the twin disasters.
Japan’s health ministry has distributed
90,000 dust prevention masks although many workers do not wear them because
they restrict breathing. It will soon distribute 600 high-efficiency filter
masks with electric fans to make breathing easier.
“Safety and health education must be
improved at actual working sites,” a senior health ministry official said.