The health consequences of asbestos exposure are being felt heavily throughout Australia especially in Queensland where every six days one Queenslander is diagnosed with an asbestos related condition such as the cancer mesothelioma.

In an effort to reduce this figure the Queensland Government is working to set up an asbestos register which will identify legal asbestos dumping reserves. This will hopefully reduce the amount of illegal asbestos dumping that occurs which has seen local and State governments spend tens of millions of dollars per year cleaning up.

In additional to this, the Queensland Government has also allocated $1.5 million to fix high risk asbestos in government buildings mainly focusing on schools.

Asbestos exposure in schools has been a problem for a long time and is extremely scary because there is no way of knowing whether staff, children or contractors have been exposed to asbestos. This is a major challenge for the Queensland Government and they are even looking into placing labels on asbestos material in schools to reduce health risks.

Bruce Flegg Minister for Public Works and Housing has said that any asbestos removal plans implemented by the Queensland Government will increase the demand for more legal asbestos dumping areas and the establishment of a register. As these buildings are getting older the need grows to have safe areas were toxic asbestos waste can be dumped.

All of these plans being worked on by Queensland Government are steps to reduce the number of people that are contracting asbestos related diseases such as mesothelioma and asbestosis. Hopefully these plans will contribute to creating an asbestos free Australia and reducing the number of new mesothelioma compensation cases in Queensland which experts have expected to peak over the next decade.

A house fire in the South Australia suburb of Windsor Gardens proved to be a bit tricky once firefighters became aware that the house was full of asbestos.

The fire started at around 4am due to an electric blanket being left on. It took sixteen firefighters half an hour to extinguish the blaze.

Nobody was harmed in the fire itself, but when asbestos material is destroyed, for example by burning, it may cause future harm. This is because asbestos fibres can be released and become airborne, and these asbestos fibres are very dangerous.

Asbestos is a known carcinogen, so if asbestos fibres are inhaled, the asbestos can cause asbestos related diseases such as asbestosis and the cancer mesothelioma, which can take decades to manifest.

Luckily the firefighters were informed of the asbestos’ presence, and followed standard safety procedures such as keeping the debris wet to prevent any asbestos fibres from becoming airborne.

South Australia is just one of Australia’s states that has legislation to assist those suffering asbestos conditions pursue an asbestos compensation claim, such as a mesothelioma compensation claim, in Australia. Other states with asbestos compensation legislation include NSW and Victoria.

Unfortunately, mesothelioma compensation claims in Australia have been brought by firefighters who have been exposed to asbestos during the course of their work.

A high school in the UK has been closed after high levels of airborne asbestos particles were identified in a structural report.

Over 900 students have been forced out of the Cwmcarn High School in Caerphilly county, which has been sealed shut with an estimated two-thirds of the school so contaminated with asbestos that it is inoperable.

The school was closed immediately after the discovery of asbestos presence, and health officials are analysing the reports, according to BBC News. The staff and students will be informed in due course when they can return to school safely.

Even a small amount of exposure to asbestos can have deadly results, as asbestos is a known carcinogen that can cause asbestos related diseases such as asbestosis and the cancer mesothelioma.

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.

Unfortunately, like elsewhere in the world, some Australian schools built prior to the mid 1980s contain asbestos.

The old saleyards in Bathurst, NSW, have finally been cleared of asbestos and are ready to be put to new use.

After being used for livestock markets for 120 years, the properties have taken three years to clean up, after being found to have low level contamination from septic tanks in 2010 and then found to have asbestos in the cement sheeting last year.

The asbestos, which is a known carcinogen and can cause asbestos related diseases such as asbestosis and the malignant pleural mesothelioma, has been since removed, and an environmental hygienist has given the NSW site the all-clear for future commercial use, according to the ABC.

Bathurst Regional Council, which is just three hours from Sydney in NSW, will decide how the old saleyards will be used and release a recommendation report over the next few months.

Asbestos has caused many problems in New South Wales. Many reported cases of mesothelioma in NSW have been made for decades. This is as a result of the legacy of so much asbestos being used in Sydney and in regional areas up until the mid 1980s.