2021
In 2021, asbestos is still a present danger when you’re working on older houses.
In fact, asbestos shows up in 1 in 3 homes across Australia.
This National Asbestos Awareness Week, we’re reminding you to Think Twice About Asbestos.
Because it’s still in millions of homes and still causing cancer in Australians.
Being aware of asbestos safety is an ongoing responsibility.
To stay safe at a job, follow these simple steps:
1. Check up
If the home was built or renovated before 1990, know what you need to do to be safe. If you’re not sure whether asbestos might be present then call a licensed asbestos professional to check before doing anything.
Watch our Asbestos Hazards, Risks and Identification video for more information on how to identify whether asbestos might be present.
2. Gear up
Asbestos is in a third of all homes. Before starting work, protect yourself with the right personal protective equipment (PPE) including the right mask.
Watch our video to see what PPE you need when working with asbestos and how to put it on correctly to keep you safe.
3. Remove safely
SafeWork NSW always recommends using a licensed asbestos removalist to remove any amount of asbestos. You must use a licensed asbestos professional to remove any amount of friable asbestos or to remove more than 10sqm of non-friable asbestos.
If you are going to remove or work with less than 10sqm of non-friable asbestos yourself then you should always do it in line with the Code of Practice – How to safely remove asbestos [PDF]. For more information on how to remove or work with less than 10sqm of asbestos safely, watch our videos on:
Set up your work area
This video demonstrates how to set up an asbestos work area if you need to work with or remove less than 10sqm of non-friable asbestos.
Manage asbestos safely on the job
This video demonstrates how to safely drill into asbestos containing materials.
Decontaminate a job area
This is the final of five videos in a series, showing tradies how to manage asbestos safely on the job. This video demonstrates how to correctly decontaminate an asbestos work area when working with or removing less than 10sqm of non-friable asbestos.