Kelso High School which has been completely rebuilt after a terrible fire in 2005 is the only school in the Bathurst, New South Wales, area that is entirely free of asbestos. This has been confirmed by the NSW Education and Communities asbestos register which outlines where asbestos is present and its condition in all the state’s public schools. The NSW asbestos register shows that asbestos is present in almost every school in the Bathurst area however this asbestos is regarded to be in a good condition and remains safe as long as it is not disturbed.
It is not surprising that there is some much asbestos in New South Wales schools considering that from the 1940s to 1980s asbestos was a widely used building material all throughout Australia.
The NSW asbestos register is updated every year with additional information about the presence of asbestos and its condition in these schools. This is important as while this material poses no health risk if left undisturbed, once this asbestos is disrupted it can pose a serious health risk to all those exposed.
Exposure to asbestos can result in people contracting asbestos related diseases such as asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma. Unfortunately, there are many cases of mesothelioma in Australia and asbestosis in Australia. Australia is at the forefront of trying to treat mesothelioma.
In order to provide some form of justice to these victims of asbestos, there is legislation in some Australian states including NSW, Victoria and South Australia to help them pursue an asbestos compensation claims in Australia. Not all persons suffering asbestos conditions in Australia are able to claim mesothelioma or asbestosis compensation in Australia.
