CVI – National Asbestos Awareness Week (21 – 27 Nov)
If your home was built before 1990, it could contain asbestos. Asbestos can be found throughout the home, in walls, bathrooms, ceilings, floors, laundries, kitchens, roofs, fences and garages. Asbestos is dangerous when damaged, disturbed or deteriorating so you shouldn’t remove it yourself.
Four times more people die from asbestos related diseases annually than on our roads, so during this year’s National Asbestos Awareness Week, Clarence Valley Council in partnership with North East Waste, are asking households to ‘Be Asbestos Ready’.
North East Waste Project Coordinator, Karen Rudkin said “Whether you’re a home renovator or a tradie on a residential worksite, the message is ‘Be Asbestos Ready’ to protect your health and avoid potential delays and cost blow outs”.
Be Asbestos Ready
Before you begin a renovation, please follow these three simple steps.
1. Think ahead: Remember that asbestos was used in over 3000 building products and can be found throughout the home.
2. Plan ahead: Exposure to asbestos fibres can cause cancer. Fibres from disturbed, damaged or deteriorating asbestos are easily inhaled and can be a health risk. There’s no fast or easy way to remove it, so plan ahead to minimise risks and avoid project delays and unexpected costs.
3. Get a professional: Please don’t risk your health, or anyone else’s health. If you’re renovating, start by contacting a licensed asbestos professional if you aren’t trained to locate, manage or remove it.
As part of a regional scheme aimed at reducing the unsafe removal of asbestos by home renovators, residents may be eligible for a Household Asbestos Testing’ (HAT) kit at a subsidised cost of $25.00, available from the CVC Customer Services Centres at Maclean and Grafton The kit includes easy step-by-step instructions on how to take samples safely and send to a certified testing laboratory. The results are then emailed back to residents. If asbestos is identified and requires removal, residents are urged to use a licensed removal contractor (https://www.safework.nsw.gov.au/hazards-a-z/asbestos ) to remove and dispose of it safely.
Asbestos waste should always be disposed of at a landfill that is licensed to accept it. Find your nearest location at https://www.newaste.org.au/asbestos/#up . It is illegal to dispose of asbestos waste in any domestic or commercial bins or anywhere other than a landfill licenced to accept it and doing so can incur very heavy fines.
For further information about managing household asbestos or obtaining a ‘Household Asbestos Testing (HAT) kit, contact council 6643 0863 or visit https://www.newaste.org.au/asbestos
For more information on asbestos safety, visit asbestos.nsw.gov.au