A Threat with No Statute of Limitations

In this issue, we focus on a material that was once regarded as a symbol of industrial progress. Known as the “mineral of a thousand possibilities,” asbestos gained worldwide popularity because of its fire resistance, durability, and low cost. Asbestos was extensively used in construction, energy production, mechanical engineering, transportation, thermal insulation, and in the manufacturing of roofing materials, pipes, and industrial products. Over time, however, humanity came to understand that these advantages carried an extraordinarily high price — human health and, ultimately, human lives.

Today, asbestos is officially recognized as one of the most dangerous occupational carcinogens. Its primary hazard lies in microscopic fibers released into the air when asbestos-containing materials are damaged, drilled, dismantled, or demolished. Once inhaled, these fibers can cause severe diseases, including asbestosis, lung cancer, mesothelioma, and other life-threatening conditions. Particularly concerning is the long latency period: diseases may develop decades after exposure, making the danger largely invisible until irreversible damage has already occurred.

For Ukraine, this issue is especially urgent. For many decades, asbestos was widely used across both industry and construction. As a result, a significant amount of asbestos-containing materials remains embedded in residential buildings, industrial facilities, utility networks, and critical infrastructure. The risks have intensified further due to war-related destruction, large-scale demolition, and the massive reconstruction efforts currently underway.

At the same time, society often underestimates the scale of the problem. Asbestos represents a silent risk — one that does not produce immediate consequences and therefore frequently escapes public attention. For this reason, asbestos management worldwide has long since evolved beyond a purely technical issue and entered the broader sphere of public health policy and regulatory governance.

Ukraine is gradually aligning its legislation with European standards. The Law of Ukraine On the Public Health System effectively introduced a ban on the use of asbestos and asbestos-containing materials. A key regulatory document is Order No. 1013 of the Ministry of Health, dated June 5, 2023, “On the Approval of State Sanitary Norms and Rules ‘On the Safety and Protection of Workers from the Harmful Effects of Asbestos and Materials and Products Containing Asbestos. To raise awareness of this issue, the journal Occupational Safety, together with United Nations Development Programme, ESOSH, and Profbud, addressed the topic of safe asbestos management during the Sustainability Forum 2025 and organized specialized training sessions involving experts and technical resources from the United Kingdom.

Despite this progress, a significant gap remains between legislative change and practical implementation. Ukraine still lacks comprehensive registries of asbestos-containing structures, licensing systems for asbestos-related work, an adequate number of certified contractors, and modern hazardous waste management infrastructure. There is also a shortage of mandatory inspections of aging buildings, specialized worker training programs, laboratory capacity, hazardous waste disposal systems, effective oversight of demolition activities, systematic occupational health monitoring, and public awareness initiatives. In practice, demolition of older buildings often proceeds without sufficient supervision or properly trained personnel.

The experience of the United Kingdom offers an important example. Its asbestos control system is fundamentally preventive in nature. Rather than focusing on addressing consequences after exposure occurs, the system emphasizes early hazard identification, comprehensive asbestos registries, risk assessment, workforce training, and strict regulatory oversight. It is precisely this preventive approach that significantly reduces the long-term burden of occupational disease (for more detail, see Viktoria Kondratyuk’s article on page 27).

Today, asbestos is no longer simply an occupational safety issue. It has become a question of safety culture, employer accountability, effective public policy, and society’s willingness to recognize risks before they turn into tragedy.

The most effective protection against asbestos is not managing the consequences of exposure — it is preventing exposure altogether.

For further information about the government authorities responsible for asbestos management in Ukraine, as well as current requirements for the safe handling and disposal of asbestos-containing waste, please refer to Mykola Fedorenko’s article “Everything About Asbestos in Ukraine” in the supplement to this issue (p. 37).

For more on the history of asbestos use and the current issues surrounding its consequences, read my article “Asbestos: From ‘Miracle Material’ to a Global Health Threat” in the Occupational Safety Cabinet.

For further information about the government authorities responsible for asbestos management in Ukraine, as well as current requirements for the safe handling and disposal of asbestos-containing waste, please refer to Mykola Fedorenko’s article “Everything About Asbestos in Ukraine” in the supplement to this issue (p. 37).