Union Safety - Official Website of NW BT Union Health and Safety Coordinators Committee: Are We About To See Asbestos Products Being Imported To The UK Once Again?

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Are We About To See Asbestos Products Being Imported To The UK Once Again?

This is perhaps one of the most dangerous questions to come out of the Health and Safety Conference held in Manchester by the CWU North West Health and Safety Forum on 11th April 2025.

Posing that question, based on justified fears within the Union Safety Reps and Asbstos Victims Support Groups, regarding any trade deal with the US; was John Flanagan from Merseyside Asbestos Victims Support Group. Quoting a response in a letter from the Government to issues raised by Merseyside Asbestos Victims Support Group, he said:

" I would like to assure the Merseyside Asbestos Victims Support Group that there will not be a race to the bottom of standards. The world has changed in the past month, hasn't it? These sorts of assurances are really not where the papers are written on when you've got Trump in office there. I think everybody got that message anyway.

And the message is very, very strong. The message is no to asbestos, and we don't want more people like this dying of asbestos-related diseases.

But that will continue if that trade deal or some other sort of deal that comes through, because you can actually hear the advisers of the UK government saying, well, you know, Prime Minister, it's a 20-year period between inhalation and, you know, we're in dire straits now, and we're only going to put their products and only have a little bit of asbestos in.

You can actually hear that in the background. That would be the sort of arguments that would be put forward. I hope I'm absolutely wrong there, but even on the present state of the plane, we need asbestos sticking out of our buildings and the built environment.

But what we've always demanded is that this should be done promptly and there should be the HSE having all the cuts in 2010, 48% of the HSEs in 2010, that should be reinstated before you start stipping out all the asbestos."

Given that the Labour Government is currently desperate for a trade deal with Doald Trump, and as the UK is diverging from EU standards when it comes to chemical and food safety standards, despite recent talks with EU on a new UK/EU trade agreement. Starmer still refuses to rejoin the EU Customs Union, making the probable risk of Asbestos and pruducts containig it being part of the standards the US will want the UK to align with, is very high. Especially when you remember that Trump was the US President who suggested that medically aporved bleach could be drunk by everyone with Covid 19! Not that there is anything such as 'medically approved Bleach'

Further, as the image below shows, Trump attacked the reduction of Asbestos production, and still favours it's use.

However, along with chicken meat washed in bleach, he would demand that as part of a trade deal with the US, lower food safety standards along with allowing the import of US products containing chemicals banned in the EU and the UK at present; to be allowed into the UK.

The reality of the US health and safety legislation is that it favours big business, and as a result, only litigation can ensure dangerous products are regulated or banned; and that can take years and millions of US dollors in solicitors fees.

Hence, the current appalling risk to US citizens health as a result of the amount of asbestos allowed in products being regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). However, regulations vary depending on the type of product and the specific situation:

Asbestos is allowed to be present in US cosmetics, of up to 1% of the manufactured item.

Other currently banned products include:

Bread across the USA is made with B - a banned chemical in the EU and the UK; because it is carcinogenic!

Other chemicals like weed killers, containing Glysphorute, a carcinogen and legal action in the USA has been successful against manufacturers, proving its cancerous risk to human health. But still not banned in the USA.

Asbestos in Cosmetics:

Asbestos in cosmetics, particularly in talc-based products, is a known risk and has been a concern for several years. While asbestos use in cosmetics is not widespread, the potential for contamination exists, especially if talc is not properly purified.

In a case in England, one brand of children's cosmetics imported from China was found by local trading standards to contain asbestos.

If you’re worried about asbestos in your cosmetics, check the product label. Look for the word 'asbestos' or 'asbestos-free' or 'Talc'/'magnesium silicate'.

Talc-based products: Asbestos has been found in some talc-based cosmetics. Talc is commonly used in products like baby powder, face powders, blush, and eye shadow. Asbestos is naturally found in the mineral talc, and contamination can occur during the mining process. Be aware that magnesium silicate is another name for Talc that you may find listed in the product details label.

Loose and pressed powders: These products may contain talc, and if not properly purified, they could be contaminated with trace amounts of asbestos.

Eye shadows, blushes, and other powders: Some cosmetics, especially older or lower-quality products, have been found to contain small amounts of asbestos due to talc contamination.

Johnson & Johnson's Baby Powder contained asbestos, as does Talcum Powder. But whilst the company decided to withdraw it from sale, and only in western countries, they did so denying that there was anything unhealthy in their baby products.

Asbestos in Children's Products

As reported by unionsafety.eu at the time, in 2019, a UK-based investigation revealed that children’s toys and products, including some play makeup kits and children's jewelry, had been contaminated with asbestos. The case became significant because it highlighted the dangers of asbestos exposure in items that children regularly play with or use.

Key Details of the Case:

Toy Makeup Kits:

Several toy makeup kits—commonly marketed for children—were found to contain asbestos. These products, which were often sold by online retailers, were made in China and imported into the UK.
Tests conducted by the UK’s Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found trace amounts of asbestos in the products, which had been packaged as play makeup and cosmetics for children. These kits included items such as eyeshadows, blushes, and powder puffs.
The toys were marketed as safe for young children but were later shown to carry a significant health risk. The concern was that children might inhale or ingest microscopic asbestos fibers when playing with the products.

Children's Jewelry:

Certain children's jewelry—such as necklaces and bracelets—was also found to contain asbestos in the form of talc. This was particularly alarming because many of these products had been sold as part of children's craft sets or as inexpensive fashion items.
The asbestos contamination was likely due to the use of talc in the manufacturing process, where talc was not adequately purified, allowing asbestos fibers to remain in the final product.

Health Risks:

Asbestos exposure can cause serious health issues, especially in children, who are more vulnerable to the dangers of inhaling toxic fibers. Long-term exposure can lead to respiratory diseases, including asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma, a rare and aggressive cancer.

The contamination in children's toys was a particular concern because children have a habit of putting items in their mouths, increasing the risk of ingesting or inhaling dangerous fibers

Calls for Tighter Regulations:

The scandal prompted calls for tighter regulations on children's toys, particularly regarding imported goods. Advocacy groups and consumer safety organizations pushed for better quality control and more stringent testing protocols for toys and cosmetics intended for children.
The UK government took steps to improve safety standards for toys, including ensuring that talc-based products sold in the UK were thoroughly tested for asbestos contamination.

Legislation:

USA allows a limited amount (up to 1%) of asbestos to be present and has not issued an outright ban! Their FDA (Food and Drug Administration) does not have specific regulations that outright ban asbestos in cosmetics. The FDA has stated that it considers asbestos a "prohibited contaminant" in cosmetic products. But that is as far as it goes!

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) also plays a role in regulating hazardous materials in consumer products, including cosmetics. If asbestos is found in a product, it can lead to recalls or other regulatory actions. But again, that depends upon testing and subsequent litigation!

The European Union (EU) and the UK has banned the use of asbestos in cosmetic products entirely, including the use of talc in cosmetics unless it can be proven to be free from asbestos contamination.

Canada has also taken steps to ensure that cosmetic products containing talc are asbestos-free.

But with the US busness lobby 'bribing' our ever willing UK politicians to reduce standards in the upcoming UK/US Trade Deal, and the now embedded US private healthcare companies in the NHS and influencing the authors of the "NHS 10 Year Plan " soon to be published; it is the fear of many within the H&S community that you can be pretty sure that Asbestos is the next killer product to start to be imported once again into the UK via US products containing it. Source: MAVSG /

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