It was part of National Safe Work Month (October), which included a visit from ‘Betty – The Asbestos Education House’.
Betty, Australia’s purpose-built mobile model house, is Australia’s only effective experiential asbestos education resource that demonstrates the many locations where asbestos might be found in domestic properties to ensure legacy asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) are managed safely and in line with regulations.
Australia was among the highest consumers of asbestos in the world and although asbestos was banned from use in homes in Australia from December 2003, ACMs could still be found in any home built or renovated before 1990 including brick, weatherboard, fibro, clad homes and even apartments.
Asbestos was used everywhere in homes – 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 in dog kennels.
If sealed, in good condition and left undisturbed, asbestos is not considered dangerous. However, if disturbed during maintenance or renovations and microscopic fibres become airborne or settle on clothing, equipment or machinery and can be inhaled; this can lead to incurable diseases including malignant mesothelioma, lung cancer and asbestosis.
If you have asbestos safety concerns on a job site, contact SafeWork NSW, 131050 or speakup.safework.nsw.gov.au where unsafe work practices can be reported anonymously.