Health · Public Health & Disease · 1 day ago
Asbestos remains a hazard in Switzerland decades after its ban
Asbestos was widely used in Switzerland because it resists heat and fire and can be made into fibres and cords.
The material is made up of naturally occurring minerals, but its fibres can cause lung disease and cancer.
Switzerland banned its sale and use in 1990, after the health risks had become clear.
Asbestos can still be found in older objects, including electrical equipment, radios and vehicle parts.
The Museum of Communication treated 20 objects with help from a specialist firm in late 2025, at a cost of about 20,000 Swiss francs.
Some objects were kept sealed with warning labels, while others were documented and disposed of under special rules.
The work shows the ongoing challenge of handling asbestos in historic collections without exposing people to the dangerous fibres.
Asbestos has been banned from sale and use in Switzerland since 1990, but it remains in objects and collections.
The fibres can cause asbestosis and cancer, and asbestos is described as particularly dangerous when loosely sprayed.
The Museum of Communication found asbestos in a range of historical objects, including telephone equipment, radios and vehicle brakes.
At the end of 2025, a specialist company removed asbestos from 20 objects at the museum, at a cost of about 20,000 Swiss francs.
Some objects containing asbestos were kept sealed and labelled, while others were documented and disposed of.
- Who
- The Museum of Communication and other Swiss cultural institutions are dealing with asbestos in collections.
- What
- Asbestos remains a hazard in Switzerland decades after its 1990 ban on sale and use.
- When
- The ban has been in force since 1990; the Museum of Communication treated 20 objects at the end of 2025.
- Where
- Switzerland, including collections at the Museum of Communication.
- Why
- Asbestos fibres can cause asbestosis and cancer, and the material remains in objects made before the ban.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Switzerland banned the sale and use of asbestos.
The Foundation for Art, Culture and History cleaned thousands of objects in a project costing 10 million Swiss francs.
The Archaeological Service of Graubünden documented the earliest known use of asbestos in what is now Switzerland.
A specialist company removed asbestos from a selection of objects at the Museum of Communication.
- Ban
- Sale and use prohibited in Switzerland since 1990
- Museum treatment
- 20 objects
- Treatment cost
- About 20,000 Swiss francs
- Other collection project
- 2021–2022; 10 million Swiss francs
- Earliest documented use
- Bronze- or Iron-Age pottery in the Lower Engadine
What people are saying
Asbestos is special waste and must not end up in the normal rubbish skip.
The question also arose whether asbestos was a relevant part of the cultural heritage.