Homeowners in the Australian Capital Territory are calling for a public awareness campaign regarding the possible presence of asbestos in homes which were screened in the 1980s. The program cleaned approximately 1,000 homes of ‘Mr Fluffy’, an insulation material installed in the ‘60s and ‘70s, which was found to contain amosite asbestos; known to be one of the most dangerous forms of asbestos.
Most recently, a home in Canberra showed to contain a significant amount of asbestos which is soon to be removed. The asbestos was discovered by a licensed assessor who was called in by the owners after they had found a suspicious substance in their home. This is the fourth home in ACT to be discovered to have missed the official screening process. The toxicity of asbestos and the threats it poses to those exposed to its fibres mean that the clean up of this home will require the Canberra home to be encapsulated in a giant pressurized plastic bubble. This will ensure that the asbestos fibres, which are known to cause diseases such as mesothelioma and asbestosis, are not spread to neighbouring areas.
A spokesperson for the Attorney General, Simon Corbell has stated, “While it is unfortunate that homes were missed, it is important to note that neither the Australian Capital Territory nor Commonwealth Government gave any assurances that all homes containing Mr Fluffy would be identified during the program.”
With this in mind, there are concerns that other houses that underwent the screen in the 1980s may still have remaining asbestos fibres in areas such as wall cavities. Homeowners should be cautious if undergoing even minor repairs to such homes. A series of internal reviews of the ‘Mr Fluffy’ program has begun.
