EDITORIAL: Deadline pressure should not hamper asbestos eradication progress

The Rwanda Housing Authority now has much of the resources it needs to clear the country of asbestos roofing material. The housing agency says it hopes to pull down and dispose of the nearly 800,000 square metres of the deadly roofing material by the 2016 deadline. This is a plausible development and one stakeholders should seize with both hands to move to propel the asbestos eradication efforts forward. However, if authorities focus on deadlines, there is bound to be unnecessary pressure to deal with, which could lead to possible failure to deliver. There is nothing more important now than ridding the country of asbestos roofing material. Asbestos, a mineral, was mixed in many types of construction materials and other purposes in the past as it was recognised with positive features of high durability and fire resistance. By 1980s, asbestos was the most common roofing material world over. Ceiling boards, floor tiles, laboratory cabinet tops, shingles, fire doors, siding shingles, among others, all were made with asbestos. But then scientists discovered that inhaling thin asbestos fibres causes serious respiratory diseases such as lung cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma. In April 2011, the government drew up a National Action Plan on asbestos eradication that recommended putting in place training teams in various institutions that would be involved in asbestos eradication, and finding proper disposal grounds or incinerators. The asbestos eradication project was established at Rwanda Housing Authority for proper asbestos eradication by representing strict industrial hygiene and worker protection standards. Now the housing authority says it has a bigger pool of trained technicians who are able to help in clearing and disposing of asbestos roofing as well as increased number of disposal sites. The price of removing a single sheet of asbestos roofing material and disposing of it has also significantly dropped. All these developments put the ball firmly in the court of responsible authorities to finish the job. However, although there are good reasons for affixing deadlines to tasks, the most important thing is getting rid of asbestos roofing material, not the timeframe.

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EDITORIAL: Deadline pressure should not hamper asbestos eradication progress