Asbestos removal work still progressing slowly in Switzerland
In principle, all buildings constructed before 1990 in Switzerland may contain asbestos, according to a statement from the health insurer Suva.
Keystone/gaetan Bally
Asbestos removal is progressing slowly in Switzerland, with the carcinogenic substance still present in almost three out of four Swiss buildings.
More than 30 years after Switzerland introduced the ban on asbestos, the substance is still a problem for the country and asbestos-related deaths have not yet reached their peak.
Asbestos is still widespread, particularly in unsuspected materials such as tile adhesives, Peter Kunzendorf, asbestos expert at the GSAS, a company based in Dübendorf, Zurich, that specialises in the study and analysis of pollutants, told Keystone-SDA. This is despite the fact that many remediation projects have already been completed.
According to the Swiss occupational health insurer, Suva, all buildings constructed before 1990 are likely to contain asbestos. Up to 2020, Suva recorded 2,700 deaths from illnesses resulting from exposure to this material in the workplace.
Since it can take up to 40 years from exposure to asbestos for the first symptoms to appear, the country’s leading accident insurer expects a further 3,300 cases by 2040.
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