Queensland Health has warned people returning to their homes after the floods to be aware of the possible risk of being exposed to asbestos. Homes that were built earlier than the mid 1980s may contain toxic asbestos as it was a common building material prior to this time.

These precautions are extremely important as even minimal exposure to asbestos can lead to a person contracting an asbestos related disease such as mesothelioma. Residents must be aware of the risks associated with asbestos so they are cautious when returning to their homes, especially because the number people diagnosed with mesothelioma is expected to rise.

Unfortunately, many people from Queensland and other states in Australia have developed asbestos related conditions such as mesothelioma in the past following relatively short periods of asbestos exposure

Western Australian Professor Bruce Robinson has a dream to create a vaccine and a new mesothelioma treatment, which is the cancer caused by exposure to asbestos.

While he continues to work hard toward his new vision, his past accomplishments have been recognised in this year’s Australia Day Honours list. Professor Robinson accepted the award humbly saying that Western Australia has the best asbestos researchers in the world and this award is about all of them not just him.

Professor Robinson and his team have achieved a lot of world firsts, including the world first blood test for mesothelioma and the first gene therapy. While their work is very sad as they are taking care of patients with asbestos related cancers which are often fatal, Professor Robinson has said this provides him with the motivation to keep on working toward his goals.

Research and support for mesothelioma is extremely important to reduce the number of people diagnosed with the disease as the number of new cases is expected to peak within the next decade. Many Australians have been affected by this condition.

The Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) is urging former Ballarat FMP factory workers to sign up to asbestos registers as there is concerns these workers may develop asbestos related illnesses in the future.

The FMP factory located in Ballarat, Victoria was one of the last companies in Australia to stop using asbestos. The company put an end to using asbestos as part of their brake and clutch material in the early 2000s.

Former FMP employee Colin Muri has said that when working as a shop steward at FMP he was working with asbestos heavily every day.

All former employees should sign up to asbestos registers and should be aware of the risks that are associated with exposure to asbestos. These former employees could be at risk of contracting asbestos related diseases such as asbestosis or mesothelioma; symptoms of these diseases often don’t show up until 20 to 30 year after the initial exposure so these workers are still at risk.

The discovery of almost two square metres of asbestos near Canley Vale High School and a sporting ground in Sydney’s western suburbs has caused health concerns among residents.

The asbestos was found in the ground near Sherwin Park on a privately owned property by Cabramatta firefighters while they were checking fire hydrants. The asbestos was smashed up and firefighters have said it looks like the asbestos had been there for a long time.

Some of the larger asbestos pieces have already been removed from the site however council is contacting the owner of the property to inform them that it is their responsibility to remove the remaining asbestos.

It is extremely important that Australians are aware of the health risks associated with asbestos, because even two square metres of smashed up asbestos is dangerous. Inhaling asbestos fibres can lead to an individual contracting an asbestos disease such as mesothelioma.