Asbestos Awarenesss month - Unknowingly.

With our back log of DIY home renovations shows consumed, we embarked on our dream and mimicked the heroic actions played out on the big screen. We swung our sledge hammers, knocked down walls, tore down ceilings, drilled and sanded. Everyone had a job to do, even the kids helped out sweeping up the mess, covered in dust, while the trusty dog lay by our side in awe. After much blood, sweat and tears our labour of love was complete, our forever dream home had become a reality.

By chance we came across a newspaper, laughingly we flicked through the pages, we hadn’t read the news in printed form since we were teenagers. After all, as millennials, we consume our information digitally, swiping left and right, scrolling up and down. While flicking, we stumbled upon an article, the headline struck a chord: Rising DIY renovations leading to ‘third wave’ of asbestos disease. Alarmingly, after some research, we discovered that one in three homes built before 1985 contained asbestos and that it could pose a threat to this day if disturbed. I had heard some talk of asbestos as a child, however, I thought that was a problem that disappeared with the past generations.

• Don’t allow your workers to work with asbestos, except under prescribed circumstances or until they are properly trained. Also, ensure the exposure standard for asbestos is not exceeded.
• Get a competent person, such as a licensed asbestos assessor, to inspect your workplace for asbestos. If unsure whether it is present, assume it is. If necessary, have a sample checked by a NATA-accredited laboratory. Once identified, make sure all asbestos is clearly labelled.
• If your workplace was built before 31 December 2003, you must keep a register that outlines when and where asbestos has been located, what type it is, and what condition it’s in. The register needs to be made available to anyone likely to be exposed to asbestos, kept up-to-date, and passed on to anyone who takes over management or control of the workplace.
• If asbestos has been identified at your workplace, you must prepare and maintain an asbestos management plan, regardless of whether the asbestos is naturally-occurring or from manufactured materials. The plan must be reviewed every five years and made available to anyone involved in work at the workplace.
• You must provide and pay for health monitoring for all those working with, or exposed to, asbestos.
• Your workers must be trained in identifying and handling asbestos safely, and understanding suitable control measures.
• When you’re working on or near asbestos, you must not use high-pressure water sprays or compressed air – and you must control the use of power tools, brooms or anything else that might release asbestos into the air.
• If you plan to demolish or refurbish a workplace, review the asbestos register first, then give the person conducting the work a copy of the register. If there is no register, get a competent person, such as a licensed asbestos assessor, to inspect the site for asbestos. You must identify all asbestos that is likely to be disturbed before demolition begins – and remove it.