Asbestos Awareness Week 2025

A collection of images showing where asbestos can be found in the home.

Asbestos Awareness Week is held across Australia from 24–30 November to raise awareness of the risks of living and working with asbestos-containing materials. The week encourages safer attitudes and behaviours by raising awareness about the importance of work health and safety measures, and by educating the community on how to live and work safely around these materials.

Asbestos containing materials are not dangerous if they are in good condition and left undisturbed. However, if they are damaged, deteriorating, or disturbed (such as by sanding, breaking, cutting, or using high-pressure water) they can release dangerous asbestos fibres into the air. These tiny fibres are invisible to the naked eye but can be inhaled, putting your health and the health of others at risk.

Did you know that if your property or business premises were built or renovated before 1990, there’s a good chance they contain asbestos materials?

More than 3,000 asbestos-containing products were commonly used in older buildings, so it’s important to take precautions before starting any renovations or cleaning. If you’re unsure if your property or business premises contain asbestos, visit our frequently asked questions for homeowners and the general public.

Resources

Asbestos: a guide for minor renovation [PDF,  13.6MB]. Find out how to handle, remove and dispose of asbestos safely and legally in Queensland.

Films

  • 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.
  • View or download more films about asbestos related topics and issues.

Want to know more about how to safely live and work with asbestos? Visit our resources page for more information.

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.