The National Archives of Australia based in Canberra is under public scrutiny following claims that one of its storage facilities is using gaffer tape to secure asbestos products such as vinyl tiles.

Concerns were raised after Labor Senator Anne Urqhart visited Canberra’s Mitchell storage facility and witnessed tiles that could contain asbestos being held in place with gaffer tape.

The Canberra facility has reached full archive capacity, and is being forced to refuse to accept any more documents.

Although there are plans in the works for a new centre to relieve some pressure, concerns are growing regarding the handling of asbestos in the Canberra facility.

Canberra’s Archives Assistant Director-General Cheryl Watson claims that staff and contractors are protected from asbestos exposure by notification processes, and also by limiting the handling of the asbestos tiles.

Asbestos related diseases such as asbestosis and mesothelioma can be caused by very small amounts of asbestos exposure. Asbestos litigation in Canberra does occur, including mesothelioma law claims in ACT. It is hoped that any asbestos related problem in this Canberra facility can be rectified to ensure no exposure occurs, and thus to ensure no asbestos related conditions, such as pleural mesothelioma, to occur.

Asbestos has been discovered in a New South Wales plant after banned goods were imported to Australia from overseas.

The Riverina Oils and Bio Energy Pty Ltd (ROBE) oil seed plant, which is located in the NSW suburb of Bomen, Wagga Wagga, rushed to set up to 15 exclusion zones after the asbestos was discovered in gaskets that had been imported to Australia from India.

The asbestos discovery prompted immediate investigations of the company responsible for the importation.

The investigations are being conducted by both WorkCover NSW and Customs and Border Protection.

WorkCover NSW has directed ROBE to identify all asbestos on site, create an asbestos register and develop an asbestos management plan, despite the project manager’s claims that all the business’ suppliers had signed declarations stating that they would not bring asbestos to the site.

A licensed asbestos removalist has been retained to safely remove the gaskets from the NSW site.

Asbestos must be removed only by licensed professionals as exposure can cause asbestos related diseases such as asbestosis and mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma compensation claims are common in most Australian states as a result of asbestos exposure, especially NSW, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia. These states have specific asbestos compensation legislation to assist those seeking to claim mesothelioma compensation and asbestosis compensation.

A quarry in Newman, Western Australia, has been re-opened following recent tests which have dispelled last week’s asbestos panic.

The Holcim-owned quarry in Western Australia’s Pilbara was shut down last week after asbestos was discovered at two of its mine sites.

The voluntary closure of the site had a major impact on local construction and development, as the company’s concrete plant provided concrete to businesses across the whole region.

The asbestos discovery also had flow-on effects on mining giants Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton, causing both to instigate internal investigations of asbestos contamination.

Rio Tinto confirmed the existence of brown asbestos at its West Angeles mine site, while BHP Billiton isolated its Jimblebar mine in order to conduct asbestos testing.

However all three companies, along with local construction businesses, breathed a sigh of relief last week when the Department of Mines and Petroleum concluded testing and announced that airborne concentrations of asbestos at all sites are well below legal limits.

Asbestos related diseases, such as mesothelioma and asbestosis, have been a major problem in West Australia for many years. Western Australia once mined blue asbestos at Wittenoom. Many workers who worked at this blue asbestos mine developed asbestos conditions like pleural mesothelioma and peritoneal mesothelioma. There have been many Australian asbestos compensation cases as a result of such asbestos exposure. Asbestos compensation claims have been brought not just in West Australia in respect to this Western Australian exposure to blue asbestos, but also in other states including in Victoria and New South Wales. Asbestos litigation in Australia occurs in most states.

There are certain Australian states that have legislation assisting those who have asbestos conditions. For example, asbestos compensation in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia, including mesothelioma compensation in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia, are assisted by state legislation.

Australian unions are pushing for the creation of a National Asbestos Authority which will work to remove asbestos from homes and commercial and public buildings. Through the removal of asbestos, this authority will help protect people from harmful health risks that come from exposure to asbestos including the cancer mesothelioma.

Paul Bastian, the national secretary of The Australian Manufacturing Workers Union, has fought against asbestos for a long time and is strongly pushing for this national authority to be established. He recognises that the huge amount of deaths and diseases that have been caused by asbestos exposure and the legal acknowledgement of these should be enough to show that something must be done to stop it.

Australian asbestos compensation claims, such as mesothelioma law claims, have been run in Australian Courts for many years. Various states, such as New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and West Australia have introduced specific laws to assist those suffering asbestos conditions claim asbestos compensation.

The Union believes what needs to be created to protect people from the dangers of asbestos is a federally funded authority. This authority will find asbestos, educate and raise awareness in the community as to which private homes, businesses and public buildings contain asbestos and then remove the dangerous mineral.

The federal government is being called on to make asbestos removal an extremely important national issue. This review is believed to be handed to the government within days and will probably recommend some kind of national authority. This authority will help to reduce the risk of asbestos related diseases and also reduce the number of people that will be at risk of contracting the cancer mesothelioma.