Asbestos is a naturally occurring fibrous mineral that was used in a wide range of building materials and other products. Asbestos becomes dangerous to health when the fibres are released into the air and inhaled. The use of asbestos has been banned in Australia since 2003 but a significant amount of asbestos remains in our built environment. It is important to know how to prevent exposure and what to do when asbestos materials are damaged or disturbed.
Asbestos is group of naturally occurring minerals known to cause cancer and other diseases.
It is important to accurately identify the presence of asbestos materials so that precautions can be taken to avoid disturbing or damaging them until they can be safely removed by a licensed asbestos professional. Asbestos can only be disposed of at a facility licensed to accept asbestos waste.
Asbestos cement roofs are particularly concerning as they are in the poorest condition of all asbestos materials remaining in the built environment, posing a relatively high asbestos exposure risk.
If there’s an incident involving asbestos, you could be held responsible for clean-up and compensation costs. This may affect the cost and coverage of your insurance if you own a property that contains asbestos or if you carry out work involving asbestos.
Fires, floods, storms and cyclones can damage asbestos materials, increasing the risk of asbestos exposure.
The National Asbestos Exposure Register (NAER) is a register for anyone who believes they may have been exposed to asbestos. Submitting information helps ensure accurate details are recorded after exposure in case of any future asbestos-related health issues.