The Dawn of Technology Cutting Through the Shadow of Asbestos Japan's Quiet Turnaround in the Early to Late 2000s

The Dawn of Technology Cutting Through the Shadow of Asbestos Japan's Quiet Turnaround in the Early to Late 2000s

It was the Kubota Shock of 2005 that brought the asbestos issue to the forefront of Japanese society. Asbestos building materials used in large quantities during Japan's period of rapid economic growth remained widely distributed in schools and buildings, and reports of mesothelioma outbreaks prompted the government to fundamentally review the quality and safety of removal work. Regulations were rapidly tightened, and new technologies became indispensable in the field to prevent dispersion and residue of asbestos.

New Dyloc, a dispersal suppressant, was developed in response to these requirements. This system was effective even in complex structures and in the backs of ceilings, as it was able to contain the uplift of fibers by forming a film, which could not be suppressed by conventional wetting with water. In the latter half of the 2000s, it was adopted in public works specifications and became the center of anti-scattering technology.

On the other hand, the Hi-Cut method responded to the problem of how to remove the remaining microfibers after the removal process. By cutting an ultra-thin layer on the concrete surface and collecting dust at the same time, residual fibers that cannot be seen by the naked eye are removed, greatly reducing the risk of re-scattering. This method has been adopted in schools, hospitals, and other facilities that require a high level of safety.

The New Dylock and Hi-Cut methods symbolize an era in which asbestos countermeasures have shifted from quantity to quality, and are positioned as a technological turning point in Japan's efforts to establish new safety standards while confronting the liabilities of the past.