ASBESTOS AND YOUR PROPERTY

BY: ASBESTOS WATCH MELBOURNE

QUICK CHECKING: ASBESTOS IN A PROPERTY

• IF YOUR HOUSE OR BUILDING IS OVER 20 YEARS OLD, IT IS LIKELY TO HAVE ASBESTOS-CONTAINING MATERIAL (ACM).

• YOU NEED A PROFESSIONAL AND EXPERIENCED CONTRACTOR TO CONDUCT A TESTING TO HELP YOU RECOGNIZE AND IDENTIFY WHETHER YOUR PROPERTIES CONTAIN FIBROUS-MATERIAL.

SOME DISEASES CAUSED BY ASBESTOS• ASBESTOS-RELATED DISEASES ARE SUCH AS ASBESTOSIS,

LUNG CANCER, AND MALIGNANT MESOTHELIOMA. THOSE CONDITIONS DEVELOPED BY INHALATION OF ACM FIBERS.

• THE OUTCOME OF THE ASBESTOS EXPOSURE IS THE SCARRING OF THE INTERNAL ORGANS THAT CAN ONLY SHOW ITS SIGN AFTER 10 TO 20 YEARS FOLLOWING THE FIRST EXPOSURE. THE TREATMENT OF THESE DISEASES HAS NOT BEEN DISCOVERED YET.

New cases of mesothelioma from 1982 to 2010

DISPOSE ASBESTOS WASTE

YOU SHOULD CONTACT THE AUTHORIZED LANDFILL THAT ALREADY REGISTERED BY EPA VICTORIA BECAUSE NOT ALL LANDFILLS CAN TAKE THE ACM WASTE. ASBESTOS IS A HAZARDOUS MATERIAL EVEN THOUGH IT IS ALREADY REMOVED FROM YOUR HOUSE.

I UNEXPECTEDLY DISCOVER FIBROUS-MATERIAL, WHAT SHOULD I DO?

IF YOU DISCOVER ACM IN THE MIDDLE OF YOUR WORKING, BETTER TO END THE WORK IMMEDIATELY. CONTACT A CERTIFIED AND PROFESSIONAL CONTRACTOR TO CONDUCT A THOROUGH RISK ASSESSMENT, AND UNDERTAKE A SAFE TESTING IF IT'S NEEDED.

ASBESTOS SURVEY

• A SURVEY IS A WAY TO ASSIST YOU IDENTIFYING AND MANAGING THE FIBER MATERIAL WITHIN YOUR PREMISES. THE RESULT OF THE SURVEY WILL REVEAL AND DETERMINE WHETHER ASBESTOS IS PRESENT OR NOT.

• YOU WILL NEED A SURVEY WHEN YOU SUSPECT THERE ARE ACMS WITHIN YOUR PROPERTY. THE PROCEDURE WILL HELP YOU BE SURE ABOUT THE ACM IN YOUR PREMISE.

COULD I SELL PRODUCTS CONTAINING ACM?

NO, YOU COULD NOT MARKET ANY PRODUCTS CONTAINING THE ACMS, FOR MONEY OR FREE OF CHARGE. DUE TO ITS DANGEROUS EFFECTS OF ASBESTOS MATERIAL, IT'S BANNED IN MOST AUSTRALIA STATES AND TERRITORIES.

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