Asbestos: still a risk to workers 20 years on from ban

WorkSafe Victoria has issued a reminder for employers and tradespeople that the risk of asbestos exposure is still prevalent in Victorian workplaces. Two decades since a nationwide ban on the use, importation and manufacture of asbestos, it continues to be found in buildings built before 1990 and can be present in many different forms which can become disturbed on demolition and construction sites.

During National Asbestos Week (20–27 November), inspectors from WorkSafe Victoria will be visiting sites across the state to ensure asbestos-containing materials are being managed and removed safely. The inspections across regional and metropolitan Victoria will focus on issues such as ensuring asbestos is identified prior to demolition, checking that there are processes for workers to know where asbestos is likely to be found and what to do if it is, and ensuring when required that any required asbestos removal is being undertaken by a licensed removalist.

A poster checklist has been developed to help employers meet their obligations when carrying out asbestos removal work. Exposure to asbestos fibres can cause diseases such as mesothelioma, lung cancer and asbestosis. Scientific studies have shown that it can also cause cancer of the larynx and ovaries and is associated with pharynx, stomach and colorectal cancers. Former fitter and machinist Brian Healy believes he was exposed to asbestos when he was just an apprentice, while removing cladding. Healy has urged workers to speak up if they feel that their workplace is not taking the risk of asbestos exposure seriously.

“The boss would say to you ‘don’t worry about it, just do the job, get on with it’. Being young, you did what the boss told you to do and you just did your job. The only one who’s going to suffer later on down the track will be you if you don’t look after yourself,” Healy said.

Since 2003, an average of 716 people have been diagnosed with mesothelioma each year nationwide, according to data from the Australian Mesothelioma Register. The disease reportedly claims an average of more than 600 lives each year. WorkSafe Executive Director of Health and Safety Narelle Beer said despite the progress made in the last 20 years, asbestos poses a very real risk in many workplaces, and urged employers to take stock and ensure they have implemented systems to identify, manage and, where required, arrange the safe removal of asbestos.

“Understanding the dangers of asbestos and meeting your obligations to reduce the risks can be the difference between you or a worker living a long and healthy life, or developing a serious illness,” Beer said.

So far in 2023, WorkSafe has completed six successful asbestos-related prosecutions with fines and costs totalling almost $100,000. Employers are legally required to identify any asbestos-containing material in a workplace, label it and record it in an asbestos register. Asbestos removal licence holders must notify WorkSafe prior to any removal works, display appropriate signage and ensure workers are wearing personal protective equipment during its removal. Employers must also arrange medical examinations for all removalists or other workers engaged in asbestos-related activities where there is a risk of exposure to asbestos fibres in excess of half the exposure standard.

Image credit: iStock.com/Stephen Barnes