The Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority has been notified that building boards have been sold in Norway that have been found to contain asbestos. If work is in progress with these products, work must be stopped immediately, and any contaminated areas must not be used until they have been investigated and secured.
Health hazards of asbestos
Breathing asbestos dust is hazardous to your health. Therefore, all work with panels that may contain asbestos should be stopped immediately to prevent exposure.
The boards in question are insulation panels that are usually used as a base for heating cables before they are poured in and tiled. According to information from the importer, this applies to products that have been on the market since September 2024 , under the names:
- Procon Master plate 1200x600x6
- ICON Master panel 1200x600x6
The boards are imported from China by the company R&D Sourcing AS , and sold through Elektroimportøren , Right Price Tiles and Duri Fagprofil AS . The product was initially documented as asbestos-free, but analyses have shown that some boards contain asbestos.
Work must be stopped and the area secured.
If work has been carried out with these panels, the work must be stopped immediately. Premises that may be contaminated must be cordoned off, and both workers and the client must be notified.
To determine the extent of any contamination, air and dust samples must be taken by a company with expertise in asbestos measurements. If the samples confirm asbestos, an approved remediation company must carry out the cleanup.
Employers who have used the products must assess the risk to employees and assess possible health effects. It is recommended to contact the occupational health service for support in the assessment work, and employees should be informed of the results.
Embedded plates should be registered – not removed
If the panels are already embedded in the building, they do not pose a health risk. The authorities have therefore decided that it is not necessary to remove them, even though their use violates the ban on asbestos-containing materials.
In such cases, the exact location of the panels in the building must be recorded.
Buildings that require an FDV (Management, Operation and Maintenance) plan must update the plan with information about the relevant materials. This is important to prevent future workers from being exposed to asbestos during rehabilitation or demolition.
Owners of buildings without a FDV obligation should also document the occurrence to avoid future exposure.
If the panels are not embedded but mounted elsewhere – for example on a wall – they must be removed by an approved asbestos removal company. Such handling is necessary because drilling, cutting or damaging the panels can release hazardous fibers.
Unused panels must be delivered to an asbestos landfill.
Whole, unused pallets of panels must be marked as containing asbestos and delivered to an approved landfill for asbestos waste.
If the packaging has been opened but the plates are undamaged, they must be packaged securely so that they are not damaged during transport.
Boards that are cracked or have visible fracture surfaces should always be handled by professional personnel with a permit for asbestos work.
For instructions on returning unused discs, please contact the point of sale where the product was purchased.
Why asbestos is dangerous
Asbestos is only harmful to health when the fibers are released into the air and inhaled – for example, during cutting, drilling or other processing.
The risk increases the more often and for longer you are exposed to such fibers. Long-term exposure can lead to serious lung diseases, such as lung cancer or mesothelioma (cancer of the lining of the lungs).
Although the risk is generally considered low in today's workplace, it is crucial to handle materials containing asbestos in safe and legal ways to avoid unnecessary health risks.
