Asbestos awareness

November is National Asbestos Awareness Month, a campaign to better educate tradies, home owners and renovators about the dangers of asbestos and how to encourage work practices that ensure safe management.

As one of the largest consumers of asbestos-containing materials in the world, one in three Australian homes built or renovated before 1987 still contain asbestos in some form including floor coverings, internal and external walls, insulation, cement and electrical switchboards.

Management and safe disposal of asbestos becomes more difficult without knowing where it may be located. There is no known safe level of exposure to the fibres which can lead to diseases, including malignant mesothelioma, once inhaled. Mesothelioma can develop between 20 to 50 years after inhalation and the average survival time is between 10 and 12 months following diagnosis.

The Asbestos Education Committee has partnered with the Asbestos Diseases Research Institute, with the support of the Heads of Asbestos Coordination Authorities, to launch the ‘Get to kNOw Asbestos this NOvember’ campaign.

Visit the website for more information on the identification of products, possible locations and how to manage and dispose of asbestos safely.