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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.