Conference on asbestos converges on Brisbane

Monday, 23 November, 2015

An international conference on asbestos will see experts, advocates and people with asbestos-related diseases come together in Brisbane from 23–24 November to tackle the ‘third wave’ of asbestos in Australia.

The Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency (ASEA) is bringing some of the world’s leading experts, advocates and people with an asbestos-related disease together at the 2nd International Conference in Asbestos Awareness and Management, to look at best practice policies for asbestos management.

With around 12 deaths per week from mesothelioma, Australia has one of the world’s highest rates of asbestos-related disease and death.

Exposure through asbestos remaining in the built environment is putting a third wave of Australians at risk.

“Asbestos is deadly and the risks of exposure are still very much with us. We face new challenges in dealing with asbestos. Different parts of the community, such as home renovators and tradespeople, are more likely to be affected as the problem extends from workplaces to the broader environment,” said Peter Tighe, CEO of ASEA.

“We are working toward an asbestos-free Australia and this conference is important in both highlighting the evolving challenges and issues, and sharing latest information.”

In line with November’s National Asbestos Awareness Month, the conference will address:

the third wave of asbestos exposure and issues in the residential housing sector;
asbestos disposal and dumping;
specific problems of asbestos removal in remote Indigenous communities;
issues with asbestos being disturbed during disaster recovery, such as cyclones;
imports and international policies;
ongoing health and medical responses.