The Hills Shire Council is urging residents to not become complacent when completing home renovations this National Awareness Asbestos Week (22-28 November).
This year’s theme “Think Twice About Asbestos” aims to remind home renovators and tradespeople of the dangers of asbestos.
Asbestos, a naturally occurring mineral made up of tiny, microscopic fibres, is still present in homes, especially those that were built before 1990. In fact, one in three homes contains this hazardous material.
While it’s not necessarily dangerous to live and work in a building that contains asbestos, this material can be easily disturbed when doing basic renovations. If you breathe in any of the fibres, you could be at risk of a number of life-threatening diseases including cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma.
In the Global Burden of Disease Collaborative Network 2016 report, asbestos exposure was found to contribute to approximately 4000 deaths in Australia each year, which is one of the highest death rates of asbestos-related diseases in the world.
By preventing exposure to asbestos fibres, asbestos-related diseases can be eliminated.
Council encourages residents and tradespeople to engage a licenced asbestos professional who has the skills and expertise to safely deal with the removal of this material.
For further information: www.asbestossafety.gov.au/find-out-about-asbestos.
