Asbestos Awareness Week 2024

Asbestos Awareness Week is held nationally in November to increase awareness of the risks of working and living with asbestos containing materials. It aims to drive behavioural and attitudinal change about the importance of work health and safety measures regarding these materials, and to educate the community about how to safety work and live alongside these products.

If your property or business premises was built or renovated before 1990, it is likely to contain asbestos containing materials. More than 3000 of these products were used in older homes and buildings, so always play it safe before doing any renovating or cleaning.

Products that contain asbestos that are in good condition are not a risk to your health. However if these are deteriorating, disturbed, broken, sanded, blasted with high pressure water or cut, they can become harmful. This is when asbestos fibres are released into the air and can be breathed in, putting your and others' health at risk. Remember, asbestos fibres are too small to see with the naked eye, but they are still dangerous.

Want to learn more about living and working safely with asbestos? Check out our resources page.

Past event recordings

Know your asbestos: identification and safe removal for small projects

Held during Asbestos Awareness Week 2024, this webinar is tailored specifically for tradespeople, homeowners and home renovators. It covers the essential information needed to safely remove and dispose of up to 10m² of non-friable asbestos. From identifying asbestos-containing materials in the home, to learning about best practices for safe transport and disposal, this webinar delves into real-world case studies that highlight what happens when the law isn’t followed—including fines for illegal asbestos removal and the dangers of using high-pressure water blasting.

Asbestos safety for businesses webinar

This webinar was held during Asbestos Awareness Week 2023 to educate businesses about where asbestos containing materials are commonly found in commercial and industrial buildings, reveal the compliance issues auditors most commonly encounter when they conduct site visits, and give an overview of the legislative requirements regarding the management of asbestos containing materials for businesses operating out of premises built prior to 1990.

Asbestos safety in the community webinar

Again, held in Asbestos Awareness Week 2023, this safety session aimed to equip homeowners and DIYers with more knowledge about where asbestos containing materials are commonly found in homes, how to manage them, safe methods for cleaning these materials and information about removing and disposing of up to 10m2 of non-friable asbestos.

Asbestos safety session 2022

This safety session was held on Tuesday 22 November 2022 and covered topics relevant to both businesses and the community.

Resources

Films

View or download films about a range of asbestos related topics and issues.

  • Locating asbestos in the home films - these four individual segments uncover where asbestos is commonly found in Australian homes built during the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.
  • Losing breath – The Adam Sager story - Julie and Don Sager’s son, Adam was unknowingly exposed to asbestos dust when he was 18 months old. He was 24 years old when he first developed symptoms of the asbestos disease, mesothelioma and died just 10 months later at 25 years old.

If your property or business premises was built or renovated before 1990, it is likely to contain asbestos containing materials. More than 3000 of these products were used in older homes and buildings, so always play it safe before doing any renovating or cleaning.

Products that contain asbestos that are in good condition are not a risk to your health. However, if these are deteriorating, disturbed, broken, sanded, blasted with high pressure water or cut, they can become harmful. This is when asbestos fibres are released into the air and can be breathed in, putting your and others' health at risk. Remember, asbestos fibres are too small to see with the naked eye, but they are still dangerous.

More information

Want to learn more about living and working safely with asbestos? Check out our resources page.