Chief Executive Officer Peter Dennis said Australia was among the largest consumers of asbestos-containing materials (ACM) in the world with asbestos used in the manufacture of a broad range of building and decorator products that can still be found in one in three brick, weatherboard, fibro and clad Australian homes.

“It can be in any home built or renovated before 1987; lurking under floor coverings including carpets, linoleum and vinyl tiles, behind wall and floor tiles, in cement floors, internal and external walls, ceilings and ceiling space (insulation), eaves, garages, roofs, around hot water pipes, fences, home extensions, garages, outdoor toilets, backyard and farm structures, chook sheds and even dog kennels,” Mr Dennis said.

“Asbestos was used everywhere!  So, if you’re a homeowner, renovator or tradie, and you don’t know the risks, the products to look for or how to manage asbestos safely, you could be risking your life and the lives of others if you disturb asbestos-containing materials and release fibres into the air that can be inhaled.”

If well maintained and left undisturbed asbestos is unlikely to pose a health risk.

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However, if asbestos-containing materials are disturbed and fibres are released they can cause asbestos-related diseases including incurable malignant mesothelioma which can develop between 20-50 years after inhaling asbestos fibres. The average survival time is 10-12 months following diagnosis. 

“One of the greatest health threats to families and tradespeople is asbestos fibres during renovations and maintenance so if you’re a renovator or a tradie, when it comes to asbestos Go Slow! Because asbestos is a NO GO! Visit asbestosawareness.com.au to learn what you need to know!” said Mr Dennis.

Kathryn Heiler, Chair of the Asbestos Education Committee said there was no known safe level of exposure to asbestos fibres.

“So without knowing what to look for or how to manage and dispose of asbestos safely, homeowners, renovators, tradies and handymen are playing a risky game of ‘Renovation Roulette’ and putting their lives and the lives of others at risk,” Ms Heiler said

“With 13 Australians dying of asbestos-related diseases (12 from malignant mesothelioma) and another 13 being diagnosed with mesothelioma every week, the commitment of Armidale Regional Council in supporting this national awareness and education campaign, will help inform more Australians than ever before about the dangers of asbestos and how to manage it safely.” 

Renovators should visit asbestosawareness.com.au for user-friendly information including the Asbestos in Your Home – The Ultimate Renovators Guide video and the 20 Point Safety Check. They can search Australia’s only online Asbestos Product Database, download Fact Sheets and the user-friendly Asbestos Awareness Healthy House Checklist – A Homeowner’s Guide to Identifying Asbestos-Containing Materials.

The Checklist is a step-by-step guide that helps homeowners conduct a fast and easy visual inspection of their home. Using the Guide homeowners can easily identify any suspected asbestos-containing materials and note its locations to avoid disturbing asbestos and know when to engage an asbestos assessor or removalist to prevent families from being exposed to dangerous fibres.

“The more a person is exposed to asbestos fibres, the greater the risk of developing asbestos-related diseases. Tradies are most at risk of exposure to fibres because they are more likely to come into contact with asbestos in their day-to-day work,” Ms Heiler said

“Although some tradies may have worked with asbestos in the past and ignored the warnings, they need to take the warnings seriously and learn where asbestos might be, how to manage it safely and when to engage trained experts to conduct asbestos-related work or remove asbestos-containing materials safely.

“Fact Sheets and the Residential Checklist for Tradies – A Tradespersons Guide to Asbestos are valuable tools for every tradie enabling them to conduct simple visual inspections of properties to know potential risks ensuring that asbestos is managed safely and in accordance with regulations,” she said.

Prior to 1987, many homes were constructed from low-cost fibro (bonded asbestos cement sheeting) to meet the growing demand for housing and it was common practice for builders and labourers to bury broken pieces of asbestos materials on building sites which can now be exposed when digging, gardening or redeveloping properties or land.

Fibro was also commonly used when building garages for the new family car, to build Dad’s shed and when adding extensions to existing brick or weatherboard homes such as family rooms while ‘weekenders’ or ‘shacks’ were often built from fibro as low-cost holiday homes.

In rural and regional areas, many farm buildings were constructed from fibro as a cost-effective means of housing equipment and stock and it was also widely used to construct ‘sleep-out’ additions to farmhouses, workers accommodation and community housing throughout much of regional Australia.

November Is National Asbestos Awareness Month - Asbestos Awareness Day is Friday November 24. National Asbestos Awareness Month Campaign is the initiative of the Asbestos Education Committee (AEC) working in partnership with the Asbestos Diseases Research Institute (ADRI) and the Heads of Asbestos Coordination Authorities (HACA), to educate homeowners, renovators, handymen and tradespeople about the dangers of asbestos and how to manage it safely.

During November Australians are encouraged to host a Blue Lamington Drive morning or afternoon tea at home or at work to help raise awareness of the dangers of asbestos and help raise funds to support the vital medical research conducted by the Asbestos Diseases Research Institute.