The combined efforts of the Environmental Protection Authority and SafeWork South Australia are seeing a harsh crackdown on unsafe removal practices of asbestos in South Australia. An announcement by the two bodies last week confirmed that together they will be performing audits of South Australia’s licensed asbestos removalists to make sure the removal of asbestos at depots and work sites is being conducted safely.

This review is crucial as the safe removal of asbestos will not only ensure the safety of the people who occupy the buildings where this asbestos is found but also the safety of the workers who remove it. The review’s main focus is to ensure the terms and conditions of asbestos removalists licenses are being followed, as these rules are in place to eliminate the risks associated with exposure to asbestos.

South Australia has one of the highest rates of mesothelioma in the world per capita. The South Australian Parliament introduced specific legislation to assist those South Australian’s suffering asbestosis and mesothelioma to make asbestos claims in South Australia.

Asbestosis compensation claims in South Australia and mesothelioma compensation claims in South Australia have benefited from such legislation. The District Court of South Australia, located on North Terrace in Adelaide, is where such asbestosis and mesothelioma Court action is heard. The intention behind the SA legislation is to assist those suffering asbestos related conditions in South Australia make a compensation claim.

A project to remove all asbestos from the Uluru Kata-Tjuta National Park in the Northern Territory of Australia has been announced by the parks caretakers. This decision came after a federal study found asbestos at the site of the old Uluru Motel which was demolished over 25 years ago and in the park’s ranger accommodation.

Small pieces of old asbestos sheeting was found on the ground of the old Motel site. Along with removing these asbestos cement sheets, contractors will also go through the area and remove any asbestos found. Although the asbestos has been found to be safe as is, the removal of it is still going ahead as precaution and to ensure the safety of the park’s staff.

The removal of all found asbestos is extremely important and the park is making the right decision in making this happen. Exposure to asbestos can lead to people contracting diseases, such as mesothelioma and asbestosis.

In the 1970s, the Northern Territory was the scene of Cyclone Tracey. During the Darwin rebuild, many homes were built which contained asbestos. Some workers who were exposed to asbestos during this rebuild went on to develop asbestos related conditions, including mesothelioma. There have been mesothelioma claims in Australian Courts where such exposure has been alleged.

Alton in the United States is hosting their fourth annual Alton Miles for Meso race on Saturday. The main goal of this race is to raise much needed funds for mesothelioma research. The race is something that involves a large variety of people from professional runners, walkers and families.

The Alton race is one of three Miles for Meso races that have taken place during September all over America in celebrating National Mesothelioma Awareness Day. The funds raised from the race will go toward helping medical research hopefully develop a cure for mesothelioma and other asbestos related diseases.

Along with America, Australia too feels the devastating effects of mesothelioma. Due to the heavy use of asbestos in Australia’s past, we now have one of the highest rates of asbestos related cancer deaths in the world. In 2007 it was recorded 551 people died from mesothelioma in Australia and experts predict this figure to peak in 2020.

Thus like America, raising funds and awareness for mesothelioma is extremely important within Australia, to hopefully develop a cure and reduce the number of people affected by this disease. Any cure would also hopefully ease the Australian Court system, as there are many mesothelioma compensation claims in Australia. Some states have streamlined the process, for example, in New South Wales, asbestos and mesothelioma compensation claims are run through the Dust Diseases Tribunal of New South Wales. In Victoria asbestos and mesothelioma compensation claims, specific legislation assists Victorian sufferers of mesothelioma and asbestosis; and in South Australia asbestos and mesothelioma compensation claims, again, there is specific legislation that assists South Australian sufferers of mesothelioma and asbestosis pursue their rights.

Asbestos was discovered over the weekend at a school in the United States; it was found in the flooring of the school’s gym and has caused the gym to be closed to both students and staff. Although tests have shown that the air in and around the gym are clean the matter is still being taken very seriously.

The discovery of asbestos at schools is not something America only struggles with; it is a major problem worldwide and Australia is no stranger to this issue. Only recently John McDonald a victim of the asbestos related cancer mesothelioma has said he contracted the disease due to exposure to asbestos he experienced while attending Wagin High School in Western Australia.

Only a few years before this claim, in 2010 Albion North primary school in Melbourne was locked down due to the discovery of asbestos in a pile of rubble on school grounds. The removal of asbestos from all Australian schools are said to be the top priority in the Australian Government’s nationwide plan to make Australia asbestos free by the year 2030.

This plan is an important proposal for Australia as we have the highest incidence of asbestos related diseases, including the cancer mesothelioma, and asbestosis. The removal of all asbestos from Australian schools will ensure the safety of children and staff. In the past, there have been Australian asbestos compensation claims where the person seeking compensation said they were exposed to asbestos at an Australian school.