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5 8

PLUMBING CONNECTION

SPRING 2015

“T

here is no safe level of exposure to asbestos

fibres,” Asbestos Education Committee chairman

Peter Dunphy says.

“With at least one in three Australian homes containing

asbestos, many home owners, renovators, tradies and

handymen are putting their health and the health of their

families at risk when doing home renovations, maintenance

and demolition if they release dangerous asbestos dust

and fibres that can be inhaled and lead to asbestos-related

diseases including mesothelioma.”

The scary thing is, despite all the warnings there are

members of the plumbing industry who don’t know the signs

of asbestos, or the dangers of exposure.

Mesothelioma is a cancer that mostly affects the lining of

the lungs and develops between 20-50 years after inhaling

asbestos fibres. There is no cure and the average survival

time after diagnosis is 10-12 months. Inhaling asbestos

fibres may also cause other diseases such as lung cancer,

asbestosis and benign pleural disease.

MESOTHELIOMA

Since 2003, approximately 600 Australians have been

diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma each year and

experts have estimated that there were at least another

1,350 Australians with lung cancer caused by asbestos.

It is estimated that these figures will continue to rise in

the coming decades.

TOOL BOX TALK

“We know that Australia has one of the highest rates of

asbestos-related diseases in the world because Australia

was among the highest consumers of asbestos products

until a complete ban of asbestos came into force in Australia

in 2003,” Peter says.

“However, there is still a high volume of asbestos-

containing building products used prior to 1987 which

remain hidden dangers in homes and buildings such

as garages and farm structures so it’s critical that all

Australians become asbestos aware.

“Many Australians wrongly believe that only fibro homes

contain asbestos, with asbestos products still commonly

found in and around brick, weatherboard, clad and fibro

homes built or renovated before 1987.

OTHER DISEASES

Malignant mesothelioma is the most common of the

asbestos-related diseases monitored in Australia. This

is because there is a strong causal association between

asbestos exposure and the disease.

A total of 11,667 people were newly diagnosed with

malignant mesothelioma in Australia between 1982 and

2009, with men making up 85% of all cases.

That said, exposure to asbestos can lead to a number of

other diseases:

EXPOSURE TO ASBESTOS IS AN ONGOING CONCERN, BUT THERE ARE SOME YOUNGER MEMBERS OF THE INDUSTRY

WHO HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR.

PAUL SKELTON

REPORTS.

ASBESTOS – WHAT YOU

NEED TO KNOW

Houses built before 1990 could contain asbestos related products.