Buah Pala demolition a health hazard, warns expert

The demolition exercise carried out by Nusmetro Venture (P) Sdn Bhd in Kampung Buah Pala on Thursday poses vast potential fatal public health and safety risks to all, said an occupational safety and health expert today.

A person can suffer from lung cancer, mesothelioma, asbestosis and other types of cancers due to the asbestos dust emitted from the demolition work, said Dr T Jayabalan, the chairperson of Penang Occupational Safety and Health Advisory Association.

"The most dangerous disease among them is mesothelioma as the person suffering from it can die within six months," he told a press conference during a village visit.

He said the roof of the three vacant village houses demolished on Sep 3 contained the hazardous asbestos mineral, a major source for this fatal disease.

He said the asbestos dust released from the demolition would contaminate the air and human body posing a health hazard.

He said based on media reports and photographs, he learnt that all the people at the demolition scene, including the workers, policemen, court officials and residents, were not wearing any protective equipments such respirators and clothing.

"They have all been exposed to the hazardous asbestos dust and are now in danger of suffering from these fatal diseases.

"Obviously no one knew the risk especially the developer," he said, adding that his study revealed that roof of 33 percent of the houses in Kampung Buah Pala contained asbestos.

All now at risk

Jayabalan said that in their eagerness to demolish the houses, the developer had now put everyone at a health and safety risk and polluted the environment.

A handbook titled Asbestos Kills published by the Consumer Association of Penang (CAP) in 1992, showed that asbestos is a mineral which is fibrous and fluffy when separated from the rock and it was found mainly in mines in Canada, South Africa and the former Soviet Union.

Asbestos based products, such as roof tiles, ceilings, garage roof, wall panels and many more, undergo wear and tear, break and peel, are sawn, drilled, sanded or exposed to the sun or rain.

Microscopic fibres in the asbestos dust are released will float in the air without settling.

These fibres enter and stick in lungs and remain there for the rest of a person's life, causing incurable asbestos diseases which lead to death.

These fibres can also enter the body through contaminated food and drink.

Many countries such as United States of America, Canada and European Community and Japan are either about to or have banned asbestos.

Jayabalan is an expert in occupational safety and health with over 20 years experience.

He was the main researcher who conducted the study and prepared the report on the Bukit Merah radioactive dumping incident in the 1980s.

Subsequently, he testified and revealed his findings at the court case pertaining to the incident.

Jayabalan's advisory services have been closely consulted by workers, trade unions and DOSH (Department of Occupational Safety and Health) on occupational safety and health issues for nearly two decades.

Laws and rules flouted

On his visits to the village, he also found that the demolition team had also failed to clear all the debris after their work, posing a safety risks to residents and others.

"Plywood with nails, bricks, used cements, roof tiles, shattered glasses and broken pipes were strewn all over the places.

"These are both health and safety risks to everyone," he said, adding the demolition team should have cleared the debris after demolition.

Jayabalan called on the relevant authorities to clarify whether the developer had obtained permission to carry out the demolition works.

Relevant authorities, he said were the Penang Island Municipal Council (MPPP) and government departments in charge such as DOSH) and The Department of Environment (DOE).

Only professionals should do work

He said before the developer can carry out the demolition, the relevant authorities must have inspected the site to ensure that all related steps had been undertaken to prevent health and safety risks.

The relevant authorities, he said can only give permission for professionals, not just anyone.

Under the law, he said the demolition workers should be trained personnel with licences to demolish structures.

He pointed out that the authorities cannot allow unlicensed persons to do such work and must subsequently make sure that the workers have cleared all debris from the site.

"All these rules related to environment and occupational safety and health have been flouted at will.

"The people then and now are being exposed to contaminated environment, safety and health risks," said the expert.

Widely regarded as an only remaining Indian traditional village in Penang, Kampung Buah Pala, also known as Tamil High Chaparral, faces total destruction within next few weeks to make way for the lucrative Oasis project undertaken by Nusmetro.