04:52 pm, Friday 7 June, 2013

Considerable quantities of asbestos have been unearthed at unexpected locations along a western rail line according to a WorkSafe Victoria report that was sighted by Fairfax Media, and some of it has been handled by building workers without them realising.

Apparently along the $5 billion Regional Rail Link it was expected that large amounts would be uncovered in the course of the construction and the likely spots were mapped for workers prior to the commencement of construction.

However in May this year, workers unexpectedly came across asbestos in Anderson Rd Sunshine and these workers had not completed training in identifying and handling asbestos. Once they realised that asbestos was being handled work was stopped at the site and WorkSafe was called.

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11:14 pm, Monday 3 June, 2013

Asbestos has been reportedly found at Queensland national broadband network (NBN) worksites.

At one site it was water blasted onto workers faces inside an underground telecommunications pit in Brisbane and at another site in Mackay asbestos dust was left unattended for five days.

Jarrod Bleijie, the state Attorney-General, said that he is concerned about the workers in the state not having the training or protection to safely deal with asbestos after the discoveries by the Workplace Health and Safety Queensland were made known.

The safety breaches with asbestos include:

- In March two workers were water blasted by asbestos in a pit in Carseldine

- In Mackay asbestos dust was left for five days after a concrete pipe was cut in April

- Asbestos was abandoned on a footpath and workers wore the incorrect safety masks

- In Banyo two workers used respirators incorrectly

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02:07 pm, Saturday 1 June, 2013

According to News.com.au confirmation has been received that Telstra was informed of asbestos issues in its cable pits three years ago. Telstra in turn have said that they communicated this to the NBN rollout organisation when the deal was signed on the network two weeks ago.

This information has come to light on the back of the issues with asbestos that have been revealed at  worksites in a number of different areas across Australia.

Allegedly the federal government was assured that all potential health risks would be handled safely by subcontractors however senior executives of the telecommunications company have been summoned to a meeting in Canberra by Workplace Minister Bill Shorten to explain where this has gone wrong.

Minister Shorten has reiterated that there is no safe level of exposure to asbestos and asked that there is a remedy provided to fix this widespread issue to protect the health and safety of workers and the general public.

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02:13 pm, Wednesday 8 May, 2013

Photo: SafetyCulture Library

Controlling the export of chrysotile asbestos is necessary to limit the death toll from the deadly substance in developing countries, a union said on Monday.

ACTU President Ged Kearney said that the Rotterdam Convention in Geneva, Switzerland must include chrysotile asbestos in its list of hazardous substances which are being monitored for export.

“Asbestos has been banned in construction in Australia since 1987, but is still used as a cheap material in developing nations in our region,” said Ms Kearney.

“This means that workers in these countries are being exposed to dangerous fibres which will cause a huge death toll for decades to come.

“Australia must use its influence in the region to limit the use of asbestos and develop substitutes that will not leave generations of people at risk of an early death.

Ms Kearney said we must learn from our own experience of the “horrific toll of asbestos”.

“The deadly substance was part of the fabric of this nation. About every third domestic dwelling built between 1945 and 1987 is thought to contain asbestos. Thousands of Australians were exposed to asbestos, and deaths from asbestos-related disease are still to peak.

“We call on every country attending the 6^th Conference of the Parties to the Rotterdam Convention to support putting chrysolite asbestos on the Convention’s list of hazardous substances.”

“The Convention’s expert scientific body (the Chemical Review Committee) is recommending this for the fourth time and they must be listened to.

“Chrysotile asbestos is the only asbestos that is still traded today. There is an overwhelming scientific consensus that all forms of asbestos, including chrysotile, are hazardous to health, and can cause deaths years after exposure.

She said that other countries should stop using asbestos and that the asbestos industry is exporting a deadly product while continuing to deny its hazards.

“The Rotterdam Convention requires all nations who export hazardous substances to obtain prior informed consent, thus enabling countries to protect the health of their citizens.

“Listing chrysotile asbestos is an important step to better regulating this deadly substance.”

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03:27 pm, Tuesday 7 May, 2013

Mark McCabe, the ACT Work Safety Commissioner, will be seeking the approval of the ACT government to impose $5000 on the spot fines on builders that do not dispose of asbestos correctly.

He said that too many builders are risking the health of workers and the public by investing the time and money necessary to safely remove asbestos.

Mr McCabe lifted an prohibition notice on a worksite in Griffith after work was stopped there last week following the discovery by the ACT Planning and Land Authority of bonded asbestos at the site when they checked on electrical issues.

A house was being demolished and the builder that was questioned said that he did not know that the building contained asbestos.

When ACT WorkSafe inspectors inspected the site they confirmed that there was contamination at the site and work was ordered to immediately stop. A licensed assessor and removalist were called to de-contaminate the site.

Mr McCabe said that this was common that a segment of builders in the ACT disregarded the law rather than ensure that asbestos is safely removed.

He said that this practice is happening far too often, which is why the option of enforcement is being looked at in the form of substantial on the spot fines as a “financial disincentive” to the builders that are not following the regulations.

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03:28 pm, Monday 8 April, 2013

NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell
Photo: Parliament of NSW

NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell was “stunned” that a man who dumped asbestos in Sydney’s southwest was able to escape jail time.

The man was handed on Thursday a three-month suspended sentence in the NSW Land and Environment court for contempt of court for failing to follow a court order not to dump asbestos and other waste materials.

The Australian reported that the 37-year old man dumped 80 tonnes of asbestos-containing waste materials at a property on Henry Lawson Drive at Picnic Point.

He pleaded guilty to the charge, and was put on a three-month good behaviour bond by the court.

“I don’t understand why a judge of the Land and Environment Court yesterday in relation to a contempt of that same court has decided to give a slap on the wrist,” Mr O’Farrell told Macquarie Radio.

“You’ve got to be consistent and if there’s a consequence that consequence has got to be felt if you’re going to change future behaviour.

“But it seemed that lesson was failed yesterday by a judge of the Land and Environment Court,” said Mr O’Farrell.

According to the Herald Sun, Mr O’Farrell said he would consider increasing penalties for illegal dumping.

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03:50 pm, Thursday 28 February, 2013

Photo: SafetyCulture Library

Officials from the Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) found 23 asbestos fragments at Sydney’s Barangaroo site. The discovery happened just ten minutes after a building and engineering company told them the area has been certified to be asbestos-free.

According to a Courier Mail report, CFMEU organiser Darren Taylor said workers raised concerns regarding asbestos discovery in the area three weeks ago.

“If its actions over the past three weeks are any indication, [the company] is clearly out of its depth and has no appreciation of the danger asbestos poses,” said Mr Taylor in a statement.

“It defies belief that a company could certify a site clear of asbestos and can walk in and out in 10 minutes have 23 pieces of asbestos fragments.

“[The company] are playing with these workers lives.”

Last year, around 150 workers stopped work because of asbestos concerns. (Read SafetyCulture Report).

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02:22 pm, Thursday 21 February, 2013

Photo: SafetyCulture Library

The World Health Organization and the International Agency for Research on Cancer issued a joint statement to reiterate that all forms of asbestos can cause cancer and that “stopping the use of all forms of asbestos is the most efficient way to eliminate asbestos-related diseases.”

The joint statement came as a response to allegations in an article published in The Lancet journal which cited several conflicts of interest in IARC’s participation with the Russian Scientific Research Institute of Occupational Health in a cancer study among chrysotile workers in Russia. The IARC is the World Health Organization’s cancer research agency.

In the joint statement, WHO and IARC also confirmed the accuracy of the data and statements of the scientific results published in the British Journal of Cancer, which estimated the asbestos-related lung cancer burden from mesothelioma mortality. The study found that all types of asbestos fibres kill “at least twice as many people through lung cancer than through mesothelioma, except for crocidolite – a form of asbestos found in South Africa, Bolivia and Australia.

The study also stated that Australia is one of the countries having the heaviest burden of asbestos cancer.

According to The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), there have been at least 4,700 deaths from mesothelioma in the country since records began in the 1980s.  It is estimated that more than 25,000 Australians will die from asbestos-related diseases in the next 40 years.

“The typical lag of 20 to 40 years between exposure and the onset of symptoms of disease. This can make detection, prevention and risk management for asbestos related health risk very difficult. It is estimated that the peak of the epidemic of asbestos-related disease in Australia will not occur until the 2020s,” said NHMRC in its website.

“The extremely widespread use of asbestos in construction in Australia last century means that exposure to it is also widespread. The weathering and ageing of asbestos-containing materials and renovation of buildings containing asbestos products may continue to release asbestos fragments for many years.”

The use of asbestos has been banned in the country since the 1980s. However, as many as two or three structures built between World War II and 1983 still contain asbestos.

Several organisations in Australia have called on the government to establish a federal asbestos authority to start the removal of asbestos from all government and commercial buildings and to put up campaigns warning home renovators of the dangers of asbestos in roofs and walls. (Read SafetyCulture report).

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03:16 pm, Friday 25 January, 2013

Photo: SafetyCulture Library

DIY enthusiasts and renovators are cautioned against the dangers associated with asbestos when conducting home improvement projects over the summer period.

Master Builders Australia warns renovators that approximately one third of all homes in Australia contain asbestos and pose a potential health risks unless managed with utmost care.

“DIY and home renovation projects are obviously very popular. Master Builders estimates that the value of work done on home renovations, alterations, additions and DIY projects was more than $25 billion in 2012,” said Master Builders Australia Acting Chief Executive Officer, Richard Calver.

“DIY and home renovation projects are obviously very popular. Master Builders estimates that the value of work done on home renovations, alterations, additions and DIY projects was more than $25 billion in 2012.

“However, home renovators and DIY enthusiasts should not downplay the importance of seeking professional advice to avoid disturbing asbestos in order to complete their projects safely.

“In good condition, asbestos in a home does not pose a serious health risk. However, issues arise when asbestos containing materials are disturbed during home renovations or DIY projects,” he said.

Mr Calver said asbestos is difficult to identify and, once disturbed and airborne, it can pose serious health implications. He advises people to seek professional advice before starting home projects.

Master Builders offer the following tips for all renovators and DIY enthusiasts to protect themselves from asbestos exposure.

• Check with building experts regarding the age of your home and the possibility of having asbestos- containing material in your home.
• Never start any renovation work unless you are certain that you won’t disturb asbestos. When in doubt, always assume that your house has asbestos.
• Engage a licensed professional to handle and dispose of any asbestos containing materials, regardless of the quantity.

Master Builders also said asbestos can usually be found in roofs, floors, kitchens and bathrooms, wall and ceiling products, and even outside the house (gutters, downpipes and fences).

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11:43 pm, Monday 21 January, 2013

Photo: SafetyCulture Library

Authorities have warned residents and workers assisting in the clean-up at the bushfire-devastated town of Coonabarabran in New South Wales on the potential asbestos contamination of buildings destroyed during the fire.

According to an ABC News report, 53 homes, 113 outbuildings and farm machinery were destroyed during the fire.

Fire and Rescue NSW Inspector Tony Lenthal said people need to be aware of the asbestos risks.

“A lot of rural properties and some urban properties still contain asbestos once damaged by fire or broken is a very serious hazard to people and needs to be treated appropriately and in appropriate protective clothing needs to be worn when rendering this safe,” he said.

The massive fire has now been contained. Authorities have now focused their attention on recovery efforts.

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