Asbestos was used in over 3,000 products and can be found in many buildings and structures built or renovated before 1990, including homes and workplaces. There are also areas in Australia where asbestos occurs naturally. It is important to know where asbestos can be found and how to prevent exposure, including legal requirements.
Knowing if your home contains asbestos is important for the purposes of protecting your health and that of your family, particularly if you are planning any home improvements, repairs or renovations or at the point of buying, selling or renting a home.
Work health and safety (WHS) laws prohibit work involving asbestos except in specific circumstances where strict safety rules must be followed. If you manage or control a workplace (including as a commercial property owner) the WHS laws contain a range of duties to protect the health and safety of workers and others at the workplace.
Although asbestos occurs naturally in some parts of Australia, land can also become contaminated with asbestos waste. Under environment protection laws everyone has a duty not to pollute the environment or to unlawfully dispose of asbestos waste.