Published: 28 November 2024
National Asbestos Awareness Week 2024 (25 November-1 December) is a time for duty holders to check they have systems in place to identify and manage asbestos to ensure they are not putting workers or members of the public at risk.
Exposure to asbestos fibres can cause deadly diseases such as mesothelioma, lung cancer and asbestosis.
Sadly, workers and their families continue to suffer the tragic toll of asbestos-related disease, with an average of more than 600 deaths from mesothelioma recorded across the country every year, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
A further 649 Victorians were diagnosed with the incurable disease in the four years to December 2023. The average age of those diagnosed was 77 and most were men who had worked in the construction and manufacturing industries.
Asbestos can lurk in buildings built before 1990 and be present in many different forms that can become disturbed during demolition or refurbishment work.
WorkSafe inspectors continue to visit sites across the state to ensure these materials are being managed and removed safely, conducting more than 1,900 asbestos-related visits in the 2023-24 financial year, issuing 210 compliance notices and identifying numerous issues that were fixed on the spot.
Major areas of focus include ensuring any asbestos is identified prior to demolition or refurbishment work, checking that there are processes for workers to know where asbestos is likely to be found and what to do if it is, and ensuring that any required asbestos removal is being undertaken by a licenced removalist.
WorkSafe Executive Director of Health and Safety Sam Jenkin said it was concerning to still see workers being exposed to asbestos because they didn't know it was in their workplace.
"The tragic consequences of exposure to asbestos fibres has been known for decades and there is no excuse for employers that allow workers or members of the public to be exposed to this silent killer," Mr Jenkin said.
"WorkSafe is urging employers to review their systems and procedures this Asbestos Awareness Week to ensure they are meeting their obligations when it comes to identifying and removing asbestos safely."
All Victorian employers are legally required to identify any asbestos-containing material in a workplace, label it, record it in an asbestos register and make the register accessible to employees and contractors who may be impacted.
Asbestos removal licence holders are required to notify WorkSafe prior to any removal works, display appropriate signage, ensure workers are wearing personal protective equipment during its removal and ensure the removal area has been isolated to prevent other people from being exposed to asbestos during removal work.