WorkSafe Victoria has joined forces with the trades sector during National Asbestos Awareness Week to educate tradespeople about the dangers and prevalence of the deadly material.
WorkSafe Victoria said asbestos had been used in more than 3,000 common building materials before it was banned in 2003.
“It’s still found in one in three Australian homes, lurking in things like cement roofing, water pipe insulation and vinyl tiles,” WorkSafe said.
The organisation said it had launched an interactive tool to help people identify where asbestos might lurk and discover how to safely dispose of it.
“It’s estimated 4,000 Australians die from asbestos-related diseases every year and tradies are among the most at risk for asbestos exposure,” WorkSafe said.
“What’s more, no amount of exposure is safe,” it said.
“Even if you’ve been in the game a long time, you might be surprised to know what materials contain asbestos.”
WorkSafe Victoria said people would be surprised to know that Australia was one of the highest users of asbestos worldwide.
“Knowing what to look for might not be as easy as you think,” it said.
WorkSafe Victoria’s interactive asbestos identification tool can be accessed at this PS News link.
