Asbestos found on China-made trains in NZ & Australia

[Baal]

http://www.tremeritus.com/2014/03/02/asbestos-found-on-china-made-trains-in-nz-australia/

 

 

Asbestos found on China-made trains in NZ & Australia

 

 

March 2nd, 2014 | Author: Editorial

 

 

 

Singapore's new Downtown Line uses trains which are made in China (Photo: LTA)

 

 

The New Zealand Herald reported today (2 Mar) that asbestos found on Chinese-made trains used by KiwiRail could cost workers’ lives (‘Asbestos on Chinese-made trains could cost workers lives‘).

 

NZ Herald reported that 40 of the NZ state-owned company’s trains were taken out of action following the discovery of the potentially deadly material in a soundproofing compound inside one of the vehicles on Friday (28 Feb).

 

Initial tests had confirmed the asbestos was contained and not a health risk, KiwiRail chief executive Peter Reidy said. However, further testing will be carried out to see if the material had leaked into the air or onto surfaces of any of the trains.

 

Many of the NZ rail workers are concerned. The NZ’s Rail and Marine Transport Union (RMTU) said the situation had left many workers fearing for their health and that of their families.

 

Mr Wayne Butson, general secretary of RMTU, told the media:

 

 

If these locos had been made in Dunedin (in NZ), or even in any other first world country, we wouldn’t be putting up with this rubbish. It’s pretty symptomatic of why most Kiwis are sceptical about anything that comes out of China.

 

 

Earlier KiwiRail said the inclusion of asbestos in the trains was in breach of a contract specification which clearly stated the material should not be used.

 

“We are clearly very disappointed with this situation and working closely with the manufacturers to understand how this could possibly have occurred. They have taken full responsibility for this and have undertaken to do whatever is necessary to rectify the situation as quickly as possible for us,” Mr Reidy said.

 

Reporting the same news, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) revealed that the trains used by KiwiRail were made by Chinese manufacturer Dalian Locomotive and Rolling Stock Co Ltd [Link].

 

ABC reported that the Chinese manufacturer has since confirmed it used chrysotile, or white asbestos, in a sound-proofing compound which is either coated with paint or sealed beneath the panelling.

 

Last November, ABC reported that 10 freight locomotives made by China Southern Rail were also pulled from service in Australia after workers were exposed to potentially deadly asbestos dust [Link].

 

In Singapore, the new trains plying the Downtown Line (DTL) are also made in China. A total of 73 train sets consisting of 3 cars each were purchased by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) at a cost of approximately $571 million in a public tender in 2008 (‘Made-in-China trains for Downtown Line unveiled‘).

 

LTA had previously assured the public that the made-in-China DTL trains meet rigorous safety standards (‘LTA: Made-in-China trains meet rigorous safety standards‘).

 

The DTL trains were manufactured in Changchun, Jilin Province of China. LTA said that the trains were assembled in China, but their components come from 8 different countries, including China (which manufactured the car body), Sweden, UK, France, Spain, the Czech Republic and Germany.

 

The first stage of DTL or DTL1 opened in December last year, linking 6 stations from Bugis to Chinatown.

 

It is not known if asbestos has also been used for soundproofing in the China-made DTL trains.

 

Asbestos became increasingly popular among manufacturers and builders in the late 19th century because of its sound absorption, average tensile strength, resistance to fire, heat, electrical and chemical damage, and, most important of all, affordability.

 

However, prolonged inhalation of asbestos can cause serious illnesses including malignant lung cancer, mesothelioma and asbestosis. These asbestos-related diseases will not affect people immediately but usually later on in life. The trade and use of asbestos have been restricted or banned in many countries.

 

 

 

 

Edited March 5, 2014 by Baal

[Kangadrool]

can't they stuff styrofoam? It's cheaper, lighter and will not disintegrate.

[Wt_know]

MIC - what to expect?

 

soon airplane is also made in china

[Ahwhye]

can't they stuff styrofoam? It's cheaper, lighter and will not disintegrate.

Styrofoam is fire hazard.....

[Kangadrool]

Hmmmm... interesting.....

 

I saw a piece of styrofoam layed inside my engine bay in my previous car.

 

Styrofoam is fire hazard.....

 

[Bystander50]

Mentioned earlier in another thread, China is a real pest to the world.

[Mllcg]

what happened to the made in japan mitsubishi trains?

 

or the french made bombadier?

 

[Donut]

what happened to the made in japan mitsubishi trains?

 

or the french made bombadier?

 

someone said 'cheaper, better and faster'

[Mllcg]

someone said 'cheaper, better and faster'

 

cheaper i agree.

 

faster and better? lol

 

i want to see a china CAR be faster than a japanese/frence first

[Kingkong]

someone said 'cheaper, better and faster'

He refering to Singaporean worker lei:

Cheaper salary, better than others and also will work faster than others

Note: the above doesn't apply to the elites hor.

Edited March 5, 2014 by Kingkong

[Myxilplix]

Ask Cheaper, Better, Faster to go chew on some asbestos first.

[Calford]

Mentioned earlier in another thread, China is a real pest to the world.

so what should we do? Stop buying things from China, shut China off from this world?

 

All Chinese are from China , they are the pest to the world.

 

I am a pest to the world for more than 30 years. And now i am producing more pest. I don't even know that....

[Mllcg]

so what should we do? Stop buying things from China, shut China off from this world?

 

All Chinese are from China , they are the pest to the world.

 

I am a pest to the world for more than 30 years. And now i am producing more pest. I don't even know that....

 

because of china, non china chinese are getting ostracised overseas.

 

and hard to avoid china these days. almost every damn thing u use, is made there

Edited March 5, 2014 by Mllcg

[Theobserver]

 

because of china, non china chinese are getting ostracised overseas.

 

and hard to avoid china these days. almost every damn thing u use, is made there

Without Chinese made Xiaomi, we would not know that smartphone users have been ripped off by Apple and Samsung all these years.

[Little_prince]

 

because of china, non china chinese are getting ostracised overseas.

 

and hard to avoid china these days. almost every damn thing u use, is made there

god made heaven and earth. Everything else is made in china

[Bystander50]

so what should we do? Stop buying things from China, shut China off from this world?

 

All Chinese are from China , they are the pest to the world.

 

I am a pest to the world for more than 30 years. And now i am producing more pest. I don't even know that....

Our forefathers may be from China, but they do not create that many problems during their era. I don't consider myself as a Chinese from China. Born and stay locally, our culture and systems are 2 different things altogether. I wouldn't even feel proud though my roots can be traced back to China.

 

To be more precise, the pests would be from the generation China produces after the Communist takeover under Communist rule. They are really one of a kind that even people from other comminist ruled countries don't behave like them, eg Vietnam.

[Friendstar]

Will Xiaomi contain asbestos as well?

[ChickenMob]

I been to Hongkong mid last year, they too ostracized China Chinese,

heard some of the retailers calling Ta low por (mainland woman.).

 

even though our forefathers are from China by they had evolved over the years in terms of personalities and behaviours, its some of those bloody fookers who still keeping their 50years never change attitude that pissed me off.

 

my grandmother siblings grandchildren in China got the cheek to send a letter asking for money to renovate their house over there when we dun even know how they looked liked. I sent the letter back telling them if cannot afford just live life as it is, nobody owes them anything...guess they are pissed off with me now.