Australian workers in the electrical industry are celebrating following the successful push from Unions NSW and the ETU for an industry-wide audit of asbestos.
The NSW unions met with the NSW government and also representatives from Ausgrid Essential Energy and Endeavour Energy last Thursday, after the union apparently revealed 49 cases of asbestos-related disease at electricity company Ausgrid.
The parties met to discuss concerns about asbestos in the Australian energy industry, and the fact that Australian staff are potentially being exposed to asbestos fibres and could be at risk of developing an asbestos related disease such as mesothelioma or asbestosis.
The NSW government accepted the priority of asbestos safety in Australian workplaces, and will shortly undertake an industry-wide audit of asbestos, to be chaired by WorkCover NSW.
Unfortunately, because of the long latency period between asbestos exposure and the manifestation of an asbestos related disease, there is no way to tell how many Australian workers have already been exposed to asbestos, or whether they will develop an asbestos related disease in the future.
However many Australian states including NSW, Victoria and South Australia have introduced legislation to assist those suffering asbestos conditions pursue an asbestos compensation claim, such as mesothelioma compensation claims in NSW.
