With the occurrence of asbestos related diseases such as mesothelioma and asbestosis on the rise, it seems impossible not to be aware of the dangers of asbestos. However, the long latency period between asbestos exposure and the development of an asbestos caused disease sheds light on some of the incomprehensibly dangerous ways asbestos has been used in the past.

One such use of asbestos was as a filter, first during World War II in gas masks and atomic energy plants, and later in cigarettes in the early 1950s. In 1952, the Lorillard Tobacco Company introduced the Macronite, a new Kent cigarette that was released in response to emerging research about the dangers of smoking, aimed at providing a filtered product that promised to be safer than its non-filtered rivals.

Ironically, the filter used actually contained 30 per cent crocidolite asbestos, also known as blue asbestos.

Asbestos is a known carcinogen that is banned from use in Australia, with many experts believing that crocidolite asbestos is the most dangerous out of the six types of asbestos. However, back in the 1950s, the asbestos filtered Macronites were very popular, with an estimated 13 billion sold in America before the product was removed from the market in 1956.

Since asbestos related diseases such as asbestos related pleural disease and malignant mesothelioma can be developed from only minimal, short-term exposure to asbestos, anyone who smoked Kent cigarettes from 1952 to 1956 are at risk, as well as workers employed at the Lorillard Tobacco Company factories.

Australia asbestosis compensation claims are common. Asbestos compensation claims in New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and South Australia regularly allege asbestos exposure of small quantities have led to the development of asbestos conditions like malignant mesothelioma. Such asbestos litigation in Australia is well developed.

An independent occupational hygienist has warned that asbestos poses a huge threat to the public at Rozelle’s former Callan Park Mental Hospital, despite the site being approved by NSW WorkCover.

The Sydney grounds, which are ironically owned by NSW Health, have undergone numerous measures to ensure the asbestos-ridden site is contained from the public, including air monitoring, a hazardous materials survey, and the subsequent boarding up and locking of a number of buildings.

However, the occupational hygienist (who refused to be named in the Sydney Morning Herald report) believes that these steps are not enough to adequately protect the public from asbestos, especially as open bags of asbestos tiles were found by children at a nearby public park.

He said asbestos fibres are flaking off roofs, and severely contaminated and unsafe buildings have still not been sealed off from the public.

The asbestos fibres found at the site have been tested with laboratories confirming that they are chrysotile asbestos, which is now banned in Australia.

Concern for the safe confinement and removal of the asbestos is due to its dangerous nature. Even very low amounts of exposure to asbestos can cause asbestos related conditions such as asbestos related pleural disease, a pleural effusion, peritoneal mesothelioma or pleural mesothelioma. There have been mesothelioma compensation claims in NSW as a result of persons being exposed to low amounts of asbestos. Similar asbestos compensation claims have occurred throughout Australia.

The National Archives of Australia based in Canberra is under public scrutiny following claims that one of its storage facilities is using gaffer tape to secure asbestos products such as vinyl tiles.

Concerns were raised after Labor Senator Anne Urqhart visited Canberra’s Mitchell storage facility and witnessed tiles that could contain asbestos being held in place with gaffer tape.

The Canberra facility has reached full archive capacity, and is being forced to refuse to accept any more documents.

Although there are plans in the works for a new centre to relieve some pressure, concerns are growing regarding the handling of asbestos in the Canberra facility.

Canberra’s Archives Assistant Director-General Cheryl Watson claims that staff and contractors are protected from asbestos exposure by notification processes, and also by limiting the handling of the asbestos tiles.

Asbestos related diseases such as asbestosis and mesothelioma can be caused by very small amounts of asbestos exposure. Asbestos litigation in Canberra does occur, including mesothelioma law claims in ACT. It is hoped that any asbestos related problem in this Canberra facility can be rectified to ensure no exposure occurs, and thus to ensure no asbestos related conditions, such as pleural mesothelioma, to occur.

Asbestos has been discovered in a New South Wales plant after banned goods were imported to Australia from overseas.

The Riverina Oils and Bio Energy Pty Ltd (ROBE) oil seed plant, which is located in the NSW suburb of Bomen, Wagga Wagga, rushed to set up to 15 exclusion zones after the asbestos was discovered in gaskets that had been imported to Australia from India.

The asbestos discovery prompted immediate investigations of the company responsible for the importation.

The investigations are being conducted by both WorkCover NSW and Customs and Border Protection.

WorkCover NSW has directed ROBE to identify all asbestos on site, create an asbestos register and develop an asbestos management plan, despite the project manager’s claims that all the business’ suppliers had signed declarations stating that they would not bring asbestos to the site.

A licensed asbestos removalist has been retained to safely remove the gaskets from the NSW site.

Asbestos must be removed only by licensed professionals as exposure can cause asbestos related diseases such as asbestosis and mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma compensation claims are common in most Australian states as a result of asbestos exposure, especially NSW, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia. These states have specific asbestos compensation legislation to assist those seeking to claim mesothelioma compensation and asbestosis compensation.