Asbestos has once again put Australians at risk, this time resulting in a police force in Perth relocating.

Like millions of old Australian homes and buildings, the Fremantle Police Complex in Western Australia contains asbestos, a known carcinogen which, if inhaled, can cause asbestos related diseases such as lung cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma.

Due to the health risks that are associated with asbestos disturbance, Australian staff at the Perth station have been forced to relocate for proposed air conditioning replacement, as the roof where the air ducts are contained is contains asbestos.

According to the Herald Sun, police services will not be disrupted during the construction work.

Safety measure such as these are extremely important, as Australia currently has one of the highest incidences of mesothelioma despite the official ban of asbestos use Australia-wide in 2004. This is because Australia was the highest user of asbestos per capita between around 1950 and 1980.

As such, many Australian states including NSW, Victoria and South Australia have introduced legislation to assist those suffering asbestos conditions pursue an asbestos compensation claim, such as a mesothelioma compensation claim in Australia.

Fears have arisen over the presence of asbestos in electricity meter boards in older Australian homes. It has been estimated that around two million homes built before 1983 contain asbestos around their electricity meter boards. The danger associated with this asbestos is that once disturbed it can become deadly. Dust is easily disturbed when drilling old metres and installing new electricity meters.

Last week Endeavour Energy was first to raise concern of this issue after reports from workers revealed asbestos around electric meters in homes they were working on. Endeavor Energy responded by issuing a ‘hazard alert’ to their staff, warning them to wear safety marks when working on these older homes.
The Electrical Trades Union (ETU) in New South Wales spoke out by saying the advice given by Endeavour Energy was inadequate and they failed to notify the households of these asbestos fears. The ETU advised all of their members not to work on any electricity boards which could potentially contain asbestos. This advice was extended further in New South Wales and the ACT to workers from companies such as Ausgrid and AGL.

Lack of knowledge can lead people to contracting asbestos related diseases, such as asbestosis and mesothelioma. The ETU is calling for the state government to step in and take action and with mesothelioma expected to peak within the next decade hopefully the government answers these calls. Many electrical works have made asbestos compensation claims in Australia, including mesothelioma compensation claims in Australia, following their exposure during their working life leading to their contraction of an asbestos condition.

Australia has proven its position as the leading country in the global push to ban asbestos.

Earlier this month, Tasmanian Senator and Lisa Singh and co-convenor of the Parliamentary Group on Asbestos Related Disease attended a conference held by the National Association for Defending Victims of Asbestos (ANDEVA).

The conference was held in Paris, France, and included a rally for the International Day for Victims of Asbestos on the 12th and 13th of October.

According to the Australian CFMEU, the conference and rally was attended by over 5,000 people, including workers, unions, victims, politicians, medical professionals and anti-asbestos advocates from more than 20 countries from six continents, including Australia.

Australia confirmed its position as a leader on anti-asbestos policy, especially after introducing the Australian Government’s introduction of the Asbestos Management Review, which was introduced to address the fact that Australia currently has one of the highest incidences of mesothelioma, an asbestos related cancer, worldwide.

This is the case despite the official ban of asbestos use Australia-wide in 2004, because Australia was the highest user of asbestos per capita between around 1950 and 1980.

As such, many Australian states including NSW, Victoria and South Australia have introduced legislation to assist those suffering asbestos conditions pursue an asbestos compensation claim, such as a mesothelioma compensation claims in Australia.

400 Australians, including asbestos experts, sufferers of asbestos related diseases, and members of the public are gathered today, 26 October 2012, at an asbestos symposium in Brisbane, Queensland.

The asbestos symposium aims to raise awareness about the fact that there are thousands of tonnes of asbestos in Australia, and also inform the public of the risks associated with asbestos handling.

Information about new treatments for asbestos diseases, including mesothelioma treatment, will be available for sufferers of asbestos related diseases such as asbestosis, lung cancer and the cancer mesothelioma.

The symposium was held because of the staggering number of asbestos victims in Brisbane, with over 1,000 Australians in Brisbane known to suffer from asbestos related diseases.

Experts estimate that the amount of unknown victims could be double this number due to the long latency period between asbestos exposure and the manifestation of an asbestos related disease. That is, because asbestos related diseases like asbestosis and mesothelioma take decades to develop, Australians who were exposed to asbestos in the past might still not have been diagnosed with an asbestos related disease yet.

The conference especially aims to raise asbestos awareness for home renovators, as it is important to check your house for asbestos materials before you start renovating to eliminate the risk of releasing and inhaling toxic asbestos fibres. Since asbestos materials were freely available in Australia up until 1978, all suburbs are at risk of containing houses with asbestos, and as such it is essential to contact a qualified asbestos removalist before commencing renovations.