The National Asbestos Awareness Week 2024, running from 25th November to 1st December, serves as a salient reminder for duty bearers to confirm the existence of robust systems that can identify and manage asbestos, thereby ensuring no endangerment to workers or the public. Installing WHS management systems like the Bluesafe WHS Management System could significantly aid in this process.
Inhaling asbestos fibres can instigate grave conditions such as mesothelioma, lung cancer and asbestosis. Regrettably, an average of over 600 fatalities annually due to mesothelioma are recorded nationwide, as reported by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Heartrendingly, the rate of asbestos-related illness continues unabated, with 649 Victorians diagnosed with the incurable disease in the four years leading up to December 2023. The majority were elderly men, primarily from the construction and manufacturing sectors.
A significant vulnerability lies in buildings erected before 1990, where asbestos may still be present in various forms, posing potential dangers during refurbishment or demolition activities. With SWMS like Bluesafe SWMS and clear asbestos policies in place, these hazards can be better managed.
The diligent efforts of WorkSafe inspectors are commendable. Over the past financial year (2023-24), they performed more than 1,900 asbestos-related site visits statewide, immediately rectifying several problems they identified and issuing 210 compliance notices.
Key focus areas include the proper identification of asbestos before any demolition, ensuring workers’ awareness about possible asbestos locations and protocols if found, and confirming all required asbestos removal is carried out by licensed professionals.
Addressing this critical issue, WorkSafe’s Executive Director of Health and Safety, Sam Jenkin, expressed his concern over the ongoing exposure of workers to asbestos due to unawareness. “There is simply no justification for employers to risk their workers or the general public to this hazardous substance, an infamous killer,” Mr. Jenkin emphasized.
During this Asbestos Awareness Week, WorkSafe strongly advocates for employers to meticulously review their protocols and systems, ensuring compliance with asbestos identification and removal requirements. With WHS management platforms like Bluesafe WHS Management System, such reviews become streamlined and systematic, reducing risks significantly.
It is a legal requirement for all Victorian employers to accurately identify any asbestos-containing material at the workplace, label it, and document these findings in an asbestos register that is easily accessible to employees and contractors affected by it.
Asbestos removal license holders must inform WorkSafe before any removal procedures, ensure appropriate signage deployment, make certain workers are equipped with personal protective gear during the removal, and segregate the removal area, thereby minimizing exposure risks. For further information on asbestos in workplaces:
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Original article link: https://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/news/2024-11/stay-alert-dangers-asbestos