Author: Jake Anderson

Asbestos waste can only be disposed of at a licenced facility. There are big penalties for the illegal disposal of asbestos, which includes putting it in a domestic rubbish bin, waste skip or dumping it in the bush.

PPE cannot guarantee your health or safety, but it will help reduce your risk of exposure. It must be selected, worn and removed correctly to be effective. You also need to follow safe work practices to prevent asbestos contaminating everything around you.

If you are unsure if something contains asbestos, do not disturb it, drill it, cut it, or break it. Have it assessed by an asbestos assessor.

If asbestos needs to be removed before you start work, use a licensed asbestos removalist.
In some circumstances the law requires it.

Be aware there is no known safe minimum level of exposure to asbestos fibres.

Many people aren’t aware that it is common to find asbestos in older bathrooms (pre-1990). If you’re thinking of creating a great new space, make sure you get and asbestos assessor to check for asbestos before you start to protect both you and your family.

Remember you have a legal responsibility not to harm those around you.

If a house was built or renovated before 1990 it has a good chance of containing asbestos. Asbestos can be found in many places around homes – including bathrooms, under flooring and even in the fuse box!

Just like plumbing and electrical work, asbestos removal – or jobs around the home that might uncover asbestos – are jobs best left to the experts.

Investigate before you renovate.

If a house was built or renovated before 1990 it has a good chance of containing asbestos. Whether you’re doing up your own home or working on someone else’s, be aware before you start of where asbestos might be found.

Investigate before you renovate.

Asbestos Awareness Week 2020: Asbestos lurks in more places than you’d think.

Do you know if your home was built before the 1990s there’s a good chance it has some asbestos?

Do you know it’s often found under flooring, as part of kitchen splashbacks or even in the garden? 

National Asbestos Awareness Week 2020 reminds Australians to be asbestos aware before starting any work around the home – because it lurks in more places than you’d think.

Know the risks.

Don’t risk the possible health effects of asbestos exposure.

Asbestos becomes dangerous once the fibres are disturbed, become airborne and then inhaled. This can happen if you’re sanding, drilling, cutting or sawing asbestos-containing materials.

Asbestos is a known carcinogen and inhaling asbestos fibres can cause a number of life-threatening diseases including pleural disease, asbestosis, mesothelioma and lung cancer.

Asbestos-related diseases cause approximately 4,000 deaths a year – three times the annual road toll.

Be aware of where asbestos might be in your home.

Asbestos was used in hundreds of building materials, commonly found in bathrooms, laundries, and kitchens as well as behind tiles and under flooring.

Find out where asbestos might be here

Watch this video about asbestos in the home here

Call for some advice and help.

Thinking about a summer renovation? Make sure you’re aware of where asbestos might be found so you know how to stay safe.

Just like plumbing and electrical work, asbestos removal – or jobs around the home that might uncover asbestos – are jobs best left to the experts.

This Asbestos Awareness Week we are calling on Australians to know the health risk, be aware of where asbestos might be found before starting work and call a professional for advice and help.

One of Australia’s oldest asbestos support groups, the Asbestos Diseases Foundation of Australia (ADFA), located in Sydney and supporting asbestos disease victims in NSW since 1989, has today declared its support for the Thoracic Oncology Group of Australasia. At a meeting between ADFA President, Barry Robson and TOGA Board Chair, Prof Nick Pavlakis, Mr Robson declared ADFA’s support for TOGA and presented Prof Pavlakis with a cheque in the sum of $25,000.00.

In expressing his support for TOGA Mr Robson said:

“We want to support an organisation that is going to come up with better treatment outcomes for our members, for people with mesothelioma. Ultimately we want to see a cure. We see TOGA as the way forward.”

TOGA Board Chair, Prof Pavlakis said:

“We see working in partnership with groups like ADFA to be absolutely essential to our ongoing work. After all, it is those groups that represent the patients, the people that we need to serve with our research and trial work.”

The two organisations have committed to working closely together in the future. Prof Pavlakis has extended an invitation of Associate Membership to ADFA which Barry Robson immediately accepted.

At present TOGA is in discussions with other asbestos support groups in Australia seeking to form partnerships with those groups.

Presentation of $25,000 cheque to TOGA