Killer building material's fatalities tower over the national road toll
The nation recoils at a death toll of around 1,200 on Australian roads but another silent killer found in a third of Australian homes is killing thousands more people every year.
Australia’s devastating road toll of around 1,200 deaths per year justifiably captures constant headlines and attracts billions of dollars in funding to tackle the issue through police actions, media campaigns, education and infrastructure repairs and upgrades.
As worthy as such drastic action is, another killer ends the lives of more than triple that number every year yet attracts almost no communal concern.
Every parent of a teen with a driver’s licence knows the latent fear that their children could be killed on the roads but barely anybody has such concerns about asbestos, which the New South Wales Government has acknowledged kills an estimated 4,000 Australians per year.
The reality is that an unsettling one in three homes in Australia contain asbestos.
To address this silent killer, the Asbestos Education Committee has launched a new education resource during National Asbestos Awareness Week to help inform Australians on the process of asbestos identification, testing and removal.
Of the patients suffering from asbestos-related mesothelioma, only 11 per cent of those surveyed said they has encountered asbestos in a work-related environment.
Home renovations were the major culprit.
Fifty per cent said they were undertaking renovations and 38 per cent reported living in a home undergoing renovations.
The problem stems from the ubiquity of asbestos in homes built or renovated before 1990.
Cherie Barber, Asbestos Awareness Ambassador who lost her grandfather to an asbestos-related disease said most Australians are unaware asbestos was not only used in the construction of fibro homes, but it was also used extensively in the manufacture of more than 3,000 building and decorator products that could be lurking in any brick, fibro, weatherboard, clad home or apartment built or renovated before 1990.
“Because Australia was one of the highest consumers of asbestos-containing materials globally, the importance of continuing to increase awareness and providing practical resources that build community knowledge on identifying and managing asbestos safely, cannot be overstated.
“Asbestos could be 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, roofs, around hot water pipes, fences, home extensions, garages, outdoor toilets, backyard and farm structures, chook sheds and even dog kennels. It was used everywhere,” Ms Barber said.
Although in some states homeowners are permitted to remove up to ten square metres of asbestos-containing materials themselves, Ms Barber said she strongly advised against it and encouraged people to only use licensed asbestos professionals.
“For those planning to renovate a home built before 1990, it’s essential they budget for licensed asbestos professionals, who will inspect and safely remove asbestos because it’s just not worth the risk,” she said.
The National Asbestos Awareness Campaign noted the years home owners needed to be aware when it came to the potentially fatal building material:
- If your home was built or renovated prior to 1987 it is ‘highly likely’ that it contains products incorporating asbestos.
- If your home was built or renovated between 1987 and 1990 it is ‘likely’ it may contain asbestos-containing materials.
- If your home was built or renovated after 1990 it is ‘unlikely’ that asbestos-containing materials will be present.
Master Builders Chief Executive Denita Wawn urged all Australians to take care when it came to home renovations or repairs.
“Most of those 3,000 products containing asbestos are 30 to 100 years old, and the older they become, the more likely they are to release harmful asbestos fibres into the air if disturbed.
“While it’s tempting to do DIY projects to save money, the consequences can be deadly.
“You can’t tell if a material contains asbestos just by looking at it; if you think a material might contain asbestos, you should err on the side of caution and call a professional to find out for sure.”
With many Australians still unaware of asbestos risks and Australia’s annual asbestos-related death toll predicted to rise, the Asbestos Education Committee is urging homeowners, property managers and tradies to visit Australia’s most comprehensive source of asbestos information.
