Inspired by the Australian Broadcasting Commission drama series ‘Devil’s Dust’, at least 80 former Bendix workers have signed up to a register of those who may suffer from an asbestos-related condition following asbestos exposure at a factory in the Victorian town of Ballarat.

Some orkers received prolonged exposure to asbestos, some for years on end. Asbestos exposure can lead to the onset of an asbestos-related condition such as mesothelioma, asbestosis or lung cancer.

Some workers would routinely handle both white asbestos and the more hazardous blue asbestos, often in poorly ventilated rooms. Some employees recall throwing balls of asbestos at each other.

Inspired by the ABC’s portrayal of the James Hardie saga, over 80 employees have signed up for a database.

Asbestos compensation in Australia has been paid to numerous brake workers who developed an associated asbestos condition. Such Australian asbestos legal claims have helped former workers who worked with brake linings and developed asbestos conditions.

A home in Eungella, Queensland has been completely destroyed after a fire ripped through the house on 15 January 2013 in the early hours of the morning. Firefighters were called to the scene however they were unable to go into the fire because the house contained so much asbestos that would put their health at risk. The only thing firefighters could do at that point was stop the fire moving to any of the neighboring homes.

All that remains of the home is a pile of rubble and asbestos. This site is now a safety concern, because even minimal exposure to asbestos can lead to an individual contracting an asbestos related disease such as mesothelioma.

With the number of new mesothelioma cases expected to increase within the next decade, it is extremely important that these types of dangerous situations are resolved quickly and efficiently.

Queensland and indeed Australian firefighters always need to ensure they do not inhale asbestos. Care needs to be taken not only during a fire, but also in the clean up operations. Many homes in Australia built prior to the mid 1980s contain asbestos. Australian firefighters in the past have made mesothelioma compensation claims in Australia following exposure to asbestos during the course of their work.

After a fire broke out at the former Port Kembla public school in New South Wales, it has been decided that demolition work will commence in an effort to make the site safer. A major concern at the site is asbestos exposure as some particles fell on the ground in front of the building after it was badly damaged by the fire on 3 January 2013.

The owner of the building will be using air monitors and wetting down the site to reduce the health risks associated with asbestos. They have also confirmed that they will be using all the recognised safety procedures for dealing with this type of asbestos problem and that there shouldn’t be any major issues.

A long reach excavator is going to be used to bring down the building but this will only be done once all the asbestos on the site is collected in buckets. All these safety measures are important because even minimal exposure to asbestos can lead to an individual contracting an asbestos related disease such as mesothelioma.

New South Wales has seen many compensation cases where a person has been diagnosed with mesothelioma after relatively short exposure to asbestos.

A Sydney family has discovered the consequences of unprofessional bathroom renovations, causing them to be exposed to the potentially deadly asbestos dust and fibre. The Mead family hired a handyman to renovate their old home, and then realised that the tradesman could have been unlicensed and may have exposed them to asbestos.

Due to the long latency period between exposure to asbestos and the contraction of an asbestos-related condition such as mesothelioma, the health of the family is still uncertain.

Although the use of asbestos is now banned in Australia, asbestos is commonly found in all homes built prior to about 1984, and continues to affect people in the home building industry. Many home renovators are ignorant of the risks posed by the lethal substance. Exposure to asbestos can lead to the onset of asbestos-related conditions such as mesothelioma, asbestosis and lung cancer.

NSW Fair Trading recommends that home renovators use the services of a licensed professional tradesman and that any asbestos removal be conducted by a professional. Individuals should not attempt to remove asbestos themselves due to the risks posed by asbestos exposure and airborne asbestos fibres.

Asbestos compensation legislation has been introduced in states such as NSW, Victoria and South Australia, allowing those who contract an asbestos-related condition to pursue an asbestosis compensation or mesothelioma compensation claim. Such asbestos compensation legislation has helped Australian home renovators pursue their compensation entitlements following the diagnosis of an asbestos relation condition such as mesothelioma.