Environment How Serious is Asbestos?

[raskolnikov]

There seems to be a conception amongst some that even a one off exposure to asbestos can be lethal. Others think that you would require heavy exposure over a prolonged period of time, such as tradies, to suffer any adverse effect. So what is the truth? How harmful really is asbestos?

 

[Keys]

My understanding is that it only takes one fibre to lodge in your lungs for the damage to be done so a one off exposure can be lethal if you're unlucky. Prolonged exposure means that you increase the number of times you could get something lodged in your lungs

It's like a reverse lotto - if you never buy a ticket you'll never win but if you buy a ticket every week you're no guarantee to win you just have more chances to do so

My old man was a builder and my brother and I would play with asbestos offcuts back in the 70's - used to make little piles of the fibres and use them as pillows. Got away with it so lucky I guess

 

[Kynge of Begrem]

There seems to be a conception amongst some that even a one off exposure to asbestos can be lethal. Others think that you would require heavy exposure over a prolonged period of time, such as tradies, to suffer any adverse effect. So what is the truth? How harmful really is asbestos?

Asbestos fibres can pose a risk to health if airborne, as inhalation is the main way that asbestos enters the body. Small quantities of asbestos fibres are present in the air at all times, and are being breathed by everyone without any ill effects. Most people are exposed to very small amounts of asbestos as they go about their daily lives and do not develop asbestos-related health problems. Finding that your home or workplace is made from fibro products does not mean your health is at risk. Studies have shown that these products, if in sound condition and left undisturbed, are not a significant health risk. If the asbestos fibres remain firmly bound in cement, generally you do not need to remove the fibro.

People who have suffered health effects from exposure to asbestos have generally worked in either the asbestos mining or milling industry, worked in industries involved in making or installing asbestos products, or are from the immediate families of these people. In all of these situations there was exposure to high levels of airborne dust, from either the processes involved or from the clothes of the workers.

http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/environment/factsheets/Pages/asbestos-and-health-risks.aspx

 

[Doss]

It's lethal.

You couldn't pay me to walk through somewhere like Wittenoom without a shedload of protective gear and an oxygen tank.

Anyone not familiar with Wittenoom and its history, take a bit of time to read about it, there's plenty of stuff online.

In a word, horrific.

 

[BigBirdz]

My dads a ceramic tiler and was telling me in the 90's some tile adheasive bags came out saying "now asbestos free". ****in arseholes never said it was in there in the first place.

Oh and thats a bit of a warning to those renovating houses. Its not just the sheets on the walls it could be in.

 

[Hawk Dork]

Its in lots of stuff old lino is another it would be behind most tiles in older houses .
Luck of the draw if it gets you
Lot of stories of the wife getting it from washing hubbys clothes and him not getting it.
My cousin got it he was a builder
My neighbour got it he was a manager for BHP

Julie Bishop as a Lawyer worked for the asbestos companies

Ms Bishop played a key role in CSR moves to deny compensation to dying victims, forcing them to go to trial.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/br...-source-of-shame/story-e6frf7kf-1226525303554

 

[Damp Squarie]

There seems to be a conception amongst some that even a one off exposure to asbestos can be lethal. Others think that you would require heavy exposure over a prolonged period of time, such as tradies, to suffer any adverse effect. So what is the truth? How harmful really is asbestos?

Deadly serious.
I have a small plaque on my lung which is not surprising having worked stripping it in boiler rooms and engine rooms in the 70s. I have 5 matelots that have died of asbestos related lung conditions.

 

[Jcpdragonx]

Grandfather died of it at 52. One of the main streets in town was shut down because of it.

 

[Willo_]

Topical thread for me to stumble across

We have a sign to instal an some paneling that are asbestos panels, have been doing a shit load of research on how we tackle it and what we need to do

So far have full throwaway coverall suits to wear, facemasks, and gloves
And have read to spray shaving cream on the area where the holes are going as it traps the fibres.
We need to put up 5 lengths of top hat first to then attach the sign to as it's corrugated, but this also fortunately will allow us to see where we are screwing into at all times so we can do all the right things.

Mind you having done all this research i would just prefer not to have to deal with it all

 

[Bont2Bruce]

We all have a much higher chance of dying in a road-accident than from asbestos-related disease.

Yet most of us are quite OK to get in our cars every day and drive past potential ice-addicts coming the other way spaced out of their minds.

Not saying there aren't real hazards associated with asbestos, but its relative risk compared to other hazards that are much more likely to affect people is way out of proportion.

 

[ioppolo]

Asbestos fences - do they have to be removed by law these days? I have a feeling the fence at the new place could be asbestos and not Hardifence.

 

[Bont2Bruce]

Asbestos fences - do they have to be removed by law these days? I have a feeling the fence at the new place could be asbestos and not Hardifence.

In Victoria, the fence would only have to be removed if the condition of the cement sheeting has deteriorated to the point of potentially releasing free fibres. If the materials are in good condition, there is no requirement to demolish anything.

Don't know enough details about the WA legislation I'm afraid.

 

[Damp Squarie]

Recent article...

Stirling Times, Perth
NAVY MEN NEED CHECK-UPS
Kate Leaver
5th July 2016

THE Asbestos Disease Society of Australia (ADSA) is urging the Department of
Defence to do a medical follow up of all sailors serving on Australian Naval ships
built before 1985. THE president of the Asbestos Disease Society of Australia
(ADSA) is concerned about “escalating” numbers of former Navy personnel with
asbestos related diseases.
Robert Vojakovic said the organisation was urging the Department of Defence to
initiate medical follow-ups of all sailors serving on Australian Naval ships built
before 1985.
“We have about 180 former Navy personnel. If people are informed and get an early
diagnosis, it will lead to a better quality of life and better treatment,” he said.
This comes after life-long advocate Steve Aiberti succumbed to malignant
mesothelioma on June 10.
Mr Aiberti grew up in Wittenoom and worked on the notorious mine before joining
the Navy and working on Navy ships which were lagged, or insulated, with asbestos.
The ADSA committee member and advocate saw the death of nine family members
from deadly asbestos-related disease. Mr Vojakovic said Mr Aiberti served on several
ships from 1957 to 1964.
“At the time all Royal Australian Navy ships were lagged with asbestos,” he said.
“Consequently all sailors serving on those ships had varying levels of asbestos
exposure.”
Mr Aiberti received the 2016 Professor Saint Memorial Award for more than 30 years
community work advocating for victims of asbestos-related diseases.
WA RSL president Graham Edwards said the issue of older ships lagged with
asbestos was well known and processes were already in place.
“The Department of Veterans’ Affairs works closely with the Department of Defence
to assess any claims by current and former members of the Australian Defence Force
for asbestos-related diseases to which their service may have contributed,” he said.
“Any veterans with asbestos-related issues are assisted by the RSL to complete the
required documentation to obtain treatment and claim compensation from the
Commonwealth Government.”

Right: Steve Aiberti during his navy service.

A Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) spokesman said all serving members of
Defence underwent routine health checks and mandatory asbestos awareness training.
“The DVA does not hold information on all former members of the Australian
Defence Force (ADF), only those who have lodged claims for compensation and
treatment,” he said.
“DVA’s current IT systems do not have the capability to provide complete data about
claims relating to asbestos exposure.”
The DVA spokesman said compensation may be available to those who have an
injury or disease related to Defence service, including asbestos exposure during
service.
The Defence Minister and the Defence Department were contacted for comment


Stirling Times
Data needed for Asbestos victims
Editorial – Kate Leaver
5th July

WHEN my Dad was 12, he and his family often went on holiday to Wittenoom where
he found “cool” rocks.
He examined them and pulled them apart, fascinated by the veins of blue-green
asbestos fibres. He even started a collection, completely unaware of the danger and
devastating legacy the mineral would have.
The story parallels so many others of his era, although he was lucky enough not to
have worked in an industry that exposed him to asbestos.
It is clear we are in the midst of a new wave of asbestos related illness claims. The
Asbestos Disease Society Australia sees new cases each week and it has a
comprehensive database of sufferers.
Meanwhile, the Department of Veterans’ Affairs claims it does not have the IT
capability to provide more asbestos exposure data.
There needs to be more data and follow up to be able fully to comprehend the scale of
former Navy personnel who were exposed.

 

[Kram]

My understanding is that it only takes one fibre to lodge in your lungs for the damage to be done so a one off exposure can be lethal if you're unlucky. Prolonged exposure means that you increase the number of times you could get something lodged in your lungs

It's like a reverse lotto - if you never buy a ticket you'll never win but if you buy a ticket every week you're no guarantee to win you just have more chances to do so

My old man was a builder and my brother and I would play with asbestos offcuts back in the 70's - used to make little piles of the fibres and use them as pillows. Got away with it so lucky I guess

This, every human on the planet would have breathed in at least some tiny amount of the stuff, it's everywhere. It's still a big issue though as with it being so bloody common as a building material someone is going to draw the short straw. It can also take up to 50 years iirc for the cancer to manifest itself from the exposure.

Blue is the main worry, it's mostly in sheets of old fibro where you can see blue streaks of it through the sheeting. White isn't great stuff to breath in but I read that it has something 1/50th the danger compared to the deadly blue.

 

[kickazz]

We all have a much higher chance of dying in a road-accident than from asbestos-related disease.

Yet most of us are quite OK to get in our cars every day and drive past potential ice-addicts coming the other way spaced out of their minds.

Is that stat an overall likelihood per person or per exposure? If it is per person it is kind of misleading as most people will get in a car many more times in their life than they disturb asbestos.

 

[Bont2Bruce]

Is that stat an overall likelihood per person or per exposure?

In both cases road-trauma is much more likely to be a cause of death than asbestos-related disease.

 

[The Old Dark Navy's]

Asbestos fences - do they have to be removed by law these days? I have a feeling the fence at the new place could be asbestos and not Hardifence.

It is asbestos cement so as long as it is not broken, it poses no harm. If it is broken you can seal it with an adhesive spray again.

If you opt to remove it, you need to follow all the protocols re wetting it down, not smashing it up, putting it in a double lined skip and having it sent to the appropriate place to handle it, and wear the appropriate PPE of course. A home owner can't remove more than 10m2 of it without a Asbestos Removalist B licence, at least in Queensland. Not sure where Victoria sits as they didn't adopt the National legislation and I don't know what it said before.

Edit: WA didn't adopt it either by the looks but they do have the 10m2+ licencing requirement for bonded materials. Anything friable is A class licence no debate.

 

[Bont2Bruce]

It is asbestos cement so as long as it is not broken, it poses no harm. If it is broken you can seal it with an adhesive spray again.

If you opt to remove it, you need to follow all the protocols re wetting it down, not smashing it up, putting it in a double lined skip and having it sent to the appropriate place to handle it, and wear the appropriate PPE of course. A home owner can't remove more than 10m2 of it without a Asbestos Removalist B licence, at least in Queensland. Not sure where Victoria sits as they didn't adopt the National legislation and I don't know what it said before.

Edit: WA didn't adopt it either by the looks but they do have the 10m2+ licencing requirement for bonded materials. Anything friable is A class licence no debate.

Generally you need to have a license to remove asbestos in Victoria.

However an employer or self-employed person can conduct a limited amount of asbestos removal work without a licence if:

• the asbestos-containing material is non-friable; and
• the area of asbestos-containing material to be removed does not exceed 10 square metres in total; and
• the total time asbestos removal work is performed in any period of seven days does not exceed one hour (this period is the cumulative total time the asbestos removal work is carried out by all employees over a period of seven days).

But you need an EPA certified truck to transport waste asbestos to landfill, so you'll be stuck with the demolition debris unless you engage a contractor for this step.

 

[Big Sauce 21]

Being a cabinet maker i've come across a lot of it accidentally. Nothing major but builders cheat and put gyprock over it and we come along and put 3mm holes through both sheets into studs. Bloke I work with has busted multiple sheets in the late 80s early 90s and he's still kicking with no signs of a problem at all.

It's good some in this thread have awareness that it's just not in the cement fibro but also tile adhesive, fences, gutters, pipes and scarily carpet underlay which is the real dangerous stuff.

 

[Kynge of Begrem]

http://thehardtimes.net/2015/02/24/asbestos-headlines-basement-show/

 

[Doss]

I do not understand how it is STILL not banned in Canada.

It was even still mined there until 2009 or 2010, believe it or not.

 

[theyellowsash]

typical builders response would be "its cheap and not everyone has side effects so lets just use it and not tell anyone". not that they would admit it, but you would be shocked or even scared of some of the things builders do because they're lazy or trying to be cheap. not that this liberal construction authority is the way to prevent it though.

 

[Happy Mastenator]

We all have a much higher chance of dying in a road-accident than from asbestos-related disease.

Yet most of us are quite OK to get in our cars every day and drive past potential ice-addicts coming the other way spaced out of their minds.

Not saying there aren't real hazards associated with asbestos, but its relative risk compared to other hazards that are much more likely to affect people is way out of proportion.

Asbestos is something that can easily be avoided though, and replaced with something else, safer. Driving is still required to move around and function as a society, but don't think that once auto-mated driving is safe it won't be rolled out to reduce the risk

 

[HBF]

http://www.msn.com/en-au/news/austr...-fragments/ar-BBuxPZP?li=AAgfLCP&ocid=UE07DHP

Parents at a Perth primary school are outraged that their children have allegedly been playing with asbestos fragments and grinding them up to make "fairy dust" during their lunchbreaks.

 

[Leper]

Peter Garrett knew.....