The joint Malaysian Industrial Hygiene Association (MIHA) and 7th Asian Network of Occupational Hygiene (ANOH) Conference in Malaysia

In October, Julia Collins, Director of Awareness and International, accepted an invitation to speak at the 7th Asian Network of Occupational Hygiene Conference in Kuala Lumpur, hosted by the Malaysian Industrial Hygiene Association (MIHA). Julia joined presenters from Japan and Korea to discuss experiences of asbestos management in their respective countries. 

This visit included meetings with officers from the Malaysian Social Security Organisation, which manages workers compensation, and the Department of Occupational Safety and Health. A key issue that was raised relates to the lack of expertise to diagnose asbestos-related diseases which means that the true scale and cost of asbestos exposure in the country is largely invisible. 

Like many other countries in South-East Asia, Malaysia continues to use chrysotile, although it has banned all other forms of asbestos. The meetings highlight the importance of Australia continuing to advocate for listing chrysotile in Annex III of the Rotterdam Convention, as this is referenced by many countries in South-East Asia as a mechanism to trigger national bans. The failure to list chrysotile asbestos is currently being used by asbestos roof sheet manufacturers in Indonesia to sue for damages following an Indonesian Supreme Court order for all asbestos materials to display health warning labelling. The Fibre Cement Manufacturers’ Association claims that because chrysotile asbestos is not listed under the Rotterdam Convention, it does not need to be labelled as dangerous. Read more about this case here. 

Thank you to the team at MIHA for the opportunity to present at the conference and the various meetings. We look forward to future collaborations with MIHA and the ANOH.