Toxic asbestos find leads to recall of tea and coffee pots in Oman

Muscat: Some tea and coffee pots, as well as thermos flasks, have been recalled from the market in Oman after traces of asbestos were found by consumer watchdogs.
In a statement, the Public Authority for Consumer Protection said that tests on some items in the market had discovered the presence of asbestos, leading to the items being taken off the shelves.
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The authority added that an asbestos-free licence would be required before products would be licenced to be sold again.
The authority announced: "Because it contains toxic asbestos, the Consumer Protection Authority stopped the sale of a number of tea and coffee pots unless there is a certificate proving that it is free from the substance."
The Director of Quality Control in the authority added that there are "continuous efforts to follow up defective goods that are harmful to the health and safety of the consumer."
The notice was issued by HE Dr. Saeed Bin Khamis Al Kaabi, Chairman of the Public Authority for Consumer Protection, prohibiting the trading of commodities containing asbestos.
The Commission's staff carried out an inspection campaign on home utensils and products to examine the materials that may cause damage to the health and safety of the consumer.
"The results of the laboratory tests of a number of tea and coffee pots containing the substance of asbestos, which is harmful to health," the authority stated.
After conducting more than one verification test, the authority ordered the prevention of the sale and use of a number of thermos used in the preservation of tea and coffee and similar beverages.
"The authority directed the suppliers to the need for a certificate proving that they are free of toxic asbestos , starting from the first of December 2017," the authority added.
"The risk of asbestos is in the case of fragmentation of fine fibres, which are not visible to the eye and the exposure to inhalation in high quantities may lead to serious health problems such as lung cancer," Ahmed Al Balushi, the Director of Chemicals Department, at Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs said.
He added: "Accordingly, many countries have passed resolutions and legislation prohibiting the use, production, manufacture or import of asbestos and its products utterly."