I met Jonathan Toumi six years ago, after what my kids had picked up in the garden thinking it was an interesting rock turned out to be a chunk of asbestos-cement. I subsequently developed a phobia of asbestos and other hidden enemies of our constructions, such as lead and radon. While he could have leveraged that to generate more business, Jonathan was actually the one talking me out of testing stuff via the diagnostics company he owns. He instead took the time to educate me, and help me rationalize my fears. We became friends. He introduced me to his passion for cars—which fortunately for my finances didn’t quite contaminate me, although I certainly was impressed. We do have one passion in common though: watches. Jonathan’s grandfather played an important role for the industry during the quartz crisis. A few decades later, Toumi AG helps keep watch companies, and others, stay safe from all the nasty stuff hidden in their production facilities and offices.
When and why did you create Toumi AG?
The company was created in 2014, on labor day in CH. Labor it has been. I’d previously lost my job in the same industry. They refused to give me a letter of recommendation. I couldn’t find a job because of that. My former customers contacted me for advice. So I thought of setting up my own shop. Now there’s eight of us.
What exactly do you do?
We help people identify the parts of their construction that may include dangerous substances, such as asbestos and lead. It’s typically before renovation projects, as that’s when the substances are at most risk of being released. Then, we collect samples and have them tested—independently—in a lab. Once the results are in, we advise our clients on the course of action and sometimes supervise polluting material removal operations if deemed necessary due to the project’s complexity, for example when the property is occupied or presents significant refurbishment challenges.
How important is the watch industry among your clients?
Being in Bienne, we inevitably have many players from the watch sector come to us. Not everyone because for some of the smaller firms busy making ends meet quarter over quarter, topics like ours are not yet taken seriously. At least, they’re not top of mind.
But we do get pulled into big projects, like when the former Rolex factory was converted into lofts. We also worked on the Rolex production site—with a guard following us making sure we didn’t take pictures! Other sites we conducted environmental diagnostics on include the former Swatch Group HQ and the previous Omega Museum—now serving as the employee cafeteria.
What kind of issues does the industry typically face, when it comes to polluting materials?
The watch industry boom from the 1930s to the 1960s coincided with when asbestos, lead, PCB and HAP were at their peak in constructions. There is also private property where women, typically, used to work on dials from their home ateliers. In those, we need to check for radium residues. Another concern is radon exposure in all ground-contact premises within the Jura Arc.
Is renovation work still risky for construction workers, in today’s day and age?
Absolutely, but that’s not specific to the watch industry. Fortunately, over the past two to three years, awareness has increased. Because of the risk for workers but also the reputational aspect.
Can you give us an example of the risks when a renovation is not conducted adequately?
Asbestos is still one of the main causes of lung cancer. If a renovation is not done properly, there is a peak of fibers in the air getting inhaled. The contamination will also remain in the room after the renovation, for instance once someone sweeps the floor, creating a new spike.
Does that mean that people working on the premises after the renovation are also exposed without knowing it?
Even in Switzerland, about 80% of renovation is done without due sanitation. In fact, for asbestos alone, it would cost 3 trillion CHF to sanitize all of Switzerland. That being said, I don’t want to freak people out. A few weeks after the renovation, for as long as the site is ventilated, most of the exposure will be gone in the vast majority of cases. The biggest risk is really for the construction workers.
What practical advice can you give to readers?
When you start thinking about a renovation project, get professional advice. The more information you get in advance, the better. Both for everyone’s health and to save you a lot of money—up to 50% of your total project. Finding out too late is very costly. It’s not just about asbestos. As one of many examples, there’s also CP, i.e. chlorinated paraffins. While asbestos was banned in Switzerland in 1990, CP was used until 2012. It’s an issue for everyone, because it contains PCB, which ends up in the water, eaten by fish, eaten by us. This is a concern for all of us: chlorinated paraffins—the successor to PCB—are still found in many materials today. They enter our water, are eaten by fish, and ultimately by us. And just like lead, which in Switzerland wasn’t officially banned until 2003, these dangerous substances can remain in our environment for decades before action is taken.
All photos courtesy of Toumi AG
