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Don‘t Play Renovation Roulette’ & Asbestos Awareness Month is a public awareness campaign to educate homeowners about the dangers of asbestos.

THE ISSUE Australia has one of the highest incidences of asbestos-related diseases in the world. Australia was among the highest consumers of asbestos cement products per capita. Few homeowners understand ANY home built or renovated prior to 1987 might contain asbestos. With cases of asbestos-related diseases increasing because of exposure to asbestos fibres during home renovations, unsafe practice during renovations is considered a significant health threat to Australians. Renovating without knowing where asbestos products might be and how best to manage it is likened to playing ‘Russian Roulette’.

THE ISSUE 5 “ Whether a home is constructed of brick, weatherboard, fibro or is clad, asbestos can be present in ANY home built or renovated before 1987 – even apartments” “ Whether a home is constructed of brick, weatherboard, fibro or is clad, asbestos can be present in ANY home built or renovated before 1987 – even apartments”

What is Asbestos? Asbestos is a naturally-occurring fibrous silicate mineral. It was considered a versatile product, because it is able to withstand heat, erosion and decay and has fire and water resistant properties. Asbestos is described as either “non-friable“ (bonded) or "friable". Non-Friable (bonded) Asbestos fibres are mixed into another material which binds or bonds them within the material and cannot be crumbled, pulverised or reduced to a powder by hand pressure when dry. Common uses for bonded asbestos in buildings include: flat (fibro), corrugated (roofing) or compressed asbestos cement sheets; water, drainage and flue pipes; and floor tiles. If fire, hail, or direct activities such as water blasting and drilling damages bonded asbestos, it may become friable asbestos material. Friable Asbestos material is any material that contains asbestos and is in the form of a powder or can be crumbled, pulverised or reduced to powder by hand pressure when dry. Friable asbestos was not commonly used in the home; it was mainly used in industrial applications such as pipe lagging, sprayed limpet and asbestos cloth and rope. Friable asbestos can only be removed by a licenced asbestos removalist with a friable asbestos licence. 6

The Importance of Safe Asbestos MANAGEMENT in & Around the Home 1 in 3 Australian homes contain building materials with asbestos. If your home was built or renovated before the mid 1980s, it most likely contains asbestos. The risk to families is when building materials containing asbestos are disturbed or damaged and this can release dangerous dust and fibres that can be inhaled. People put themselves and their children at risk if they are not aware of the hazards of working with asbestos materials including fibro. There are legal and safety requirements for the management of asbestos which vary from state to state. Follow the regulations. It’s not worth the risk – to your health or your pocket. The cost of asbestos removal by a licenced professional is comparable in price to most licenced tradesmen including electricians, plumbers and tilers. The cost of disposal at a lawful landfill site is usually included when using a licenced professional removalist. Homeowners and renovators should visit asbestosawareness.com.au for information and regulations on safe asbestos management. 7

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Considering renovating? If your house was built or renovated before 1987, it is likely to contain asbestos. Most people can't tell whether building materials contain asbestos just by looking at them. If you are not sure if asbestos is in your home or if it is in good, stable condition, you can have your home inspected by a licenced removalist or occupational hygienist. IMPORTANT: If fire, hail, or water blasting damages bonded asbestos, it may become friable asbestos material and must be managed and removed by a licenced Friable Asbestos Removalist. 10

Has Asbestos Exposure Been Linked to DIY Renovating? A study published in the Medical Journal of Australian by Professor Anthony Johnson into ‘The prevalence of self-reported asbestos exposure during home renovation in NSW residents’ showed: 60.5% of do it yourself (DIY) renovators reported being exposed to asbestos during home renovations. 53% reported their partner and 40% reported their children were also exposed to asbestos during home DIY home renovations. Non DIY renovators were less likely to be exposed or have their families exposed. 58% of DIY renovators cut AC Fibro Sheeting – this was the most common activity resulting in asbestos exposure. 37% of DIY renovators reported using a power tool to cut asbestos products. THUS ASBESTOS EXPOSURE IS COMMON DURING HOME RENOVATIONS 11

Why Can Asbestos Dust or Fibres be Dangerous to Your Health? There is no safe level of exposure to asbestos fibres! If asbestos is disturbed it can release dangerous fine particles of dust containing asbestos fibres. If you don’t observe safety precautions when removing or working with asbestos, you risk exposing yourself and your family to long-term health risks. Symptoms of asbestos-related diseases do not usually appear until about 20 to 30 years after the first exposure to asbestos. The risk of contracting asbestos-related diseases increases with the number of fibres inhaled and the length of time (years) that asbestos fibres were inhaled. Breathing in dust containing asbestos fibres can cause asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is an incurable cancer which most often occurs in the lining of the lung. The rates of malignant mesothelioma are expected to rise in the next 8-10 years. 12

Studies have shown that asbestos products, if in sound condition and left undisturbed, are not a significant health risk. If your home contains bonded asbestos products that are in good condition, leave them alone but remember to check them occasionally for any signs of wear and tear. If asbestos materials are in good condition, paint them and leave them alone. If the asbestos fibres remain firmly bound in a solid cement sheet or structure, generally you do not need to remove the asbestos. 13 When Is Asbestos in the Home NOT a Significant Health Risk?

Important Asbestos Facts Don’t cut it! Don’t drill it! Don’t drop it! Don’t sand it! Don’t saw it! Don’t scrape it! Don’t scrub it! Don’t dismantle it! Don’t tip it! Don’t waterblast it! Don’t demolish it! And whatever you do Don’t dump it!

For information on how to safely manage asbestos in your home visit 15 DISCLAIMER The information contained in this presentation is provided as an education guide and it does not represent a comprehensive statement of the laws and regulations specific to each state, territory or council region. Although all care has been taken to ensure that the information is correct at the time of publication, the laws change over time and you need to ensure that you are accessing the most current legislation to ensure that the information is up to date. You may use this presentation for educational purposes in your organisation for internal training and development however, you are not permitted to edit, change or add to this presentation in any way. You are not allowed to remove this disclaimer from the presentation and you are not allowed to charge any fees for using this presentation.