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.
This news story has been written and carefully fact-checked by an external editorial team. At SWI swissinfo.ch we select the most relevant news for an international audience and use automatic translation tools such as DeepL to translate them into English. Providing you with automatically translated news gives us the time to write more in-depth articles. You can find them here.
If you want to know more about how we work, have a look here, and if you have feedback on this news story please write to english@swissinfo.ch.
External Content
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Almost finished… We need to confirm your email address. To complete the subscription process, please click the link in the email we just sent you.
Popular Stories
More
Life & Aging
Switzerland no longer wants to foot the bill for ‘suicide tourism’
As a Swiss Abroad, how do you feel about the emergence of more conservative family policies in some US states?
In recent years several US states have adopted more conservative policies on family issues, abortion and education. As a Swiss citizen living there, how do you view this development?
Geneva to host international talks on plastic pollution
This content was published on
A further round of negotiations to reach an international treaty to reduce global plastic pollution will take place in Geneva from August 5-14.
Switzerland extends list of sanctions against Russia
This content was published on
The government is thus adopting the changes decided by the European Union in response to Russia's ongoing military aggression in Ukraine.
Zelthangar plans to produce Spatz tents in Switzerland again
This content was published on
Zelthangar, based in canton Zurich, has purchased the traditional Swiss tent brand Spatz, which is particularly well-known among scouts.
Swiss sign human rights declaration for Women’s Euro 2025
This content was published on
Sports Minister Viola Amherd has signed a human rights declaration for the 2025 European Women's Football Championship in Switzerland.
Swiss parliament wants to expand support for asbestos victims
This content was published on
The expansion of financial support for asbestos victims by the Swiss National Accident Insurance Fund has cleared its first parliamentary hurdle.
Extra month of Swiss pension can be paid out from end of 2026
This content was published on
The 13th monthly pension payment can be paid out from December 2026. However, it has not yet been decided how it will be financed.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Dying from asbestos… and having to prove it
This content was published on
But for those hit by asbestos-related diseases, the path to compensation can be a rocky one. For asbestos victims and their families, February 13 is an important date. It marks the end of a three-year trial in Turin of two industrialists – the Swiss Stephan Schmidheiny and the Belgian Jean Louis de Cartier – accused…
Swiss industrialist partly cleared by Italian court in asbestos death
This content was published on
A court in Italy has reduced a sentence against Swiss entrepreneur Stephan Schmidheiny over the death of a worker in an asbestos cement factory.
Asbestos: scientific breakthroughs and political debate
This content was published on
New research has shed light on how asbestos fibres cause cancer, just as Swiss parliamentarians debate how to compensate cancer victims.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.