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Asbestos Information |
ASBESTOS: The Silent Killer
The number of people diagnosed with asbestos related diseases will not peak until 2020 or even later — by then there will be 13,000 cases of mesothelioma and up to 40,000 cases of asbestos-related lung cancer. That's 53,000 cases of incurable cancer caused by asbestos over the next 20 years! (estimated by Prof Henderson, Flinders University)
Abestos is a mineral mined from earth. It is composed of strong fibres, which are long and silky in appearance. When it is processed, many very small fibres are created. It is these deadly, invisible particles than can kill.
ASBESTOS AWARENESS SAVES LIVES
Occupational Exposure to Asbestos and Other Dusts and Chemicals
It would be safe to say the number of asbestos related illnesses is under estimated.
Any industrial process that causes a worker or his or her family to be exposed to any foreign substance in a form which enables it to gain entry into the body should be regarded as potentially hazardous.
No-one should be required to work with any chemicals that can be inhaled, ingested or absorbed into the body.
Many such work practices would be challenged through the relevant Occupational Health and Safety Act. For further advice, contact your Union or Department of Industrial Relations.
The Health Hazard
The asbestos fibres can become airborne because they are very fine. Once in the air, the fibres are easily inhaled or swallowed. If they are inhaled, they can cause mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer and pleural diseases. These effects can take up to 40 years to develop.
Because they are so small, asbestos fibres can easily penetrate body tissue. their indestructibility means the body's natural defences cannot break them down. Their presence can lead to scarring of the lung (asbestosis) and a variety of fatal cancers. No-one knows exactly how many deaths have been cased by asbestos because it is often misdiagnosed. Its effects can take up to 40 years to become apparent.
WHAT IS ASBESTOS?
Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral rock that is made up of tiny fibres. For many decades asbestos was mined and widely used. Due to its unique combination of flexibility, tensile strength, insulation and chemical inertness it became widely used by industry from the 1800s. It is the only naturally occurring mineral that can be spun and woven like cotton or wool into useful fibres and fabrics.
The three most common types of asbestos that were mainly used in a wide range of products are:
- Chrysotile (white asbestos)
- Crocidolite (blue asbestos)
- Amosite (brown or grey asbestos)
Blue asbestos is known to cause the most harm as the fibres are relatively long and thin, therefore they are more likely to reach the lungs rather than the curlier fibres of white asbestos.
(The Australian Lung Foundation - Asbestos related lung diseases)
WHY IS ASBESTOS DANGEROUS?
In the early 1900s medical practitioners began to raise concerns that exposure to asbestos was causing deaths of asbestos workers through respiratory diseases and by the 1930s there was a substantial accumulation of scientific knowledge concerning asbestos related disease.
Almost everyone in our society has been exposed to some asbestos fibres, but for most people the exposure and the risk are very small. When the asbestos is disturbed it forms a dust of tiny fibres. This dust can easily be breathed in. Asbestos fibres can split down, reducing in size until they are small enough to travel deep into the body where they pierce the lining of the lungs. The body does not have a mechanism for removing materials from this deep within the lungs and as the asbestos fibres are embedded in the lining, they will remain in the body for the rest of that person's life. Asbestos related diseases are caused by the inhalation or ingestion of these particles of asbestos. The diseases caused by exposure include asbestosis, pleural plaques, lung cancer, mesothelioma and cancer of the intestinal tract.
Asbestos related disease is generally associated with inhaling asbestos over a long time. However, a small number of people may develop mesothelioma after brief exposure. The reason why this occurs is not known so it is always important to keep exposure to asbestos fibres as low as possible. Over 2500 people are diagnosed with asbestos related diseases in Australia each year and the number is rising.
People who have been exposed to asbestos fibres in their jobs are at greater risk. Such jobs include:
- Mining or milling asbestos
- Manufacture and repair of goods using raw asbestos fibres, such as brake linings
- Use of products containing asbestos, for instance in building and construction, heating, shipyards, power stations, boiler making and plumbing
- Alteration, repair or demolition of buildings or other structures containing asbestos
Some people have contracted mesothelioma after brief and unexpected exposure, others 30 years after home renovations, after holiday work as a labourer, or as a result of shaking and washing their husband's clothes.
Asbestos in Queensland
The widespread use of asbestos in transport, building and manufacturing has resulted in an increasing number of Queenslanders developing asbestos related diseases. There can be a 20-30 year latent period after asbestos exposure before disease develops, which means many Queenslanders are yet to be diagnosed with lung diseases such as asbestosis, pleural plaques, lung cancer or mesothelioma.
Asbestos has been used in a wide variety of products and may still be found in many products some of which include:
- Asbestos cement sheet pipe and products used for water supply and sewage piping, casings for electrical wires, fire protection material, chemical tanks, electrical switchboards and residential and industrial building materials such as cement sheeting.
- Friction products such as clutch facings and brake linings for cars.
- Products containing asbestos paper such as table pads and heat protective mats, heat and electrical wire insulation, small appliance components and underlying material for sheet flooring.
- Asbestos textile products such as packing components, roofing materials, heaters.
- Other products including ceiling and floor tiles, gaskets and packings, paints, coating and sealants.
Asbestos products were gradually removed from production during the 1980s. Between 1981 and 1983, asbestos flat sheeting was phased out. In 1985, corrugated products (roofing and cladding) were also taken from production. Asbestos-lined piping was not made after 1987 and in 2003 brake pads and linings ceased to contain asbestos.
New materials are no longer allowed to contain asbestos fibres and people are no longer able to import, manufacture, supply, store, transport, sell, use, reuse, install and replace asbestos-containing materials.
Despite an Australia wide ban on Asbestos being sold, reused and/or imported into Australia after 31 December 2003, some asbestos materials have been imported into Australia, accordingly if you have concerns about a product/materials, have it tested by a National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) accredited laboratory – www.nata.asn.au
Asbestos in the home
Asbestos in the home can be in one of two forms. The most common is in firmly bound material such as asbestos cement sheeting or ‘fibro' water or flue pipes, roof shingles and flexible building boards, some types of vinyl floor tiles or lino and plaster patching compounds.
The second is in the form of loose asbestos fibres and was used in certain types of insulation products for hot water pipes, domestic heaters and stoves and ceiling insulation.
You should always presume any material contains asbestos unless there is strong evidence to suggest it does not. Some material obviously does not contain asbestos such as glass, solid wooden doors, floorboards, bricks and stone. The building plans may provide evidence that other materials were used.
If you think that you have found asbestos in your home, don't touch it. Asbestos is at risk in the home when it is disturbed in a way that produces dust that contains asbestos fibres. In many cases the presence of asbestos containing materials in the home is no cause for alarm if the material has not been damaged. If the material is not damaged and shows no signs of wear and tear it can often be left in place. For example, internal asbestos cement sheet walls or ceilings that are in good condition and coated with paint do not pose a risk to health, whilst they are not showing signs of degradation or damage.
If you have to handle or work with asbestos it is important to remember:
- Do Not use power tools.
- Do Not use abrasive cutting or sanding discs.
- Do Not use compressed air.
- Do Not use high-pressure hoses.
- Do Not walk on corrugated asbestos-cement roofs as you may run the risk of falling through the roof.
- Do Not leave asbestos products around the garden where they may be broken or crushed.
- Do get the material tested by a NATA-accredited laboratory if you are unsure if it contains asbestos.
- Always work with asbestos in well-ventilated areas.
- Ensure the material is thoroughly wet down and kept wet during work to minimise the release of fibres and dust.
It is recommended that loosely bound asbestos only be removed by a licensed professional, as health risks associated with handling this type of material are far greater than for firmly bound asbestos.
A house holder may legally remove asbestos from their property, however as asbestos poses a health risk during removal, packaging transport and disposal, it is important that it is handled safely during these operations. Please refer to the OHS Reps web-site for further information regarding the safe handling and removal of asbestos in the home at http://www.ohsrep.org.au
How to Manage an Incident
The nature and circumstances of an issue or emergency incident involving asbestos, determines how it is managed and which agencies become involved.
If you feel you are involved in an asbestos related incident then there are several State Government agencies that may become involved to help resolve and handle the issue. If the event is a public health issue then it should be referred to the Environmental Health Officer of the local municipal council. If the incident is an occupational health and safety issue then it should be referred to Work Place Health & Safety Queensland. If the incident involves transport or disposal of asbestos then it should be referred to the Environmental Protection Authority.
Below is a list of some of the issues and incidents that may be associated with asbestos either in the home or the workplace and the State government agencies that may become involved in resolving or handling the issue.
Local Government - http://www.qld.gov.auHome owner removing asbestos material. Transport of asbestos material by a homeowner. Derelict warehouse being converted to residential use. Derelict warehouse that is not a workplace. Dumping asbestos material on private/public land. House being demolished by homeowner. Fire at a residential premise. Storing asbestos material on a residential property.
Workplace Health & Safety - http://www.whs.qld.gov.auRemoval of asbestos roof or cladding from a factory or any other workplace Contractor removing asbestos material from a residence. Storing asbestos material on a work site. Derelict warehouse that is a workplace.
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