www.asbestosawareness.com.au
National Asbestos Awareness Campaign
National Asbestos Awareness Month is the initiative of the Asbestos Education Committee working in partnership with the Asbestos Diseases Research Institute and is supported by the Asbestos Diseases Foundation of Australia, the Federal Asbestos Safety & Education Agency and various levels of government, nationally. The campaign was developed and is managed by Insight Communications.
If left undisturbed asbestos generally does not pose a health risk. However, when disturbed during renovations and home maintenance, asbestos fibres can be released into the air and when inhaled, can cause life-threatening diseases including lung cancer, pleural disease, asbestosis and mesothelioma. With every home built or renovated before 1987 likely to contain asbestos, the campaign’s primary objective is to educate Australians about the dangers of asbestos in and around homes and how to manage it safely.
If you have asbestos which you need to dispose of, please DO NOT put it in your general waste bin - please dispose of it at the transfer station. The transfer station will accept your asbestos for a fee (see below), as long as it is properly presented and wrapped as per the EPA guidelines, ie: double wrapped in thick (200-micron) plastic and duct-taped at the seams. Hardware stores or building suppliers sell this type of plastic.