Asbestos fibres can pose a risk to health if airborne, as inhalation is the main way that asbestos enters the body. Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral, most people are exposed to very small amounts of asbestos daily 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. If the asbestos fibres remain firmly bound in cement, generally you do not need to remove the fibro.
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Possible health risks
Breathing in asbestos fibres can cause asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma. The risk of contracting these diseases increases with the number of fibres inhaled. People who get health problems from inhaling asbestos have usually been exposed to high levels of asbestos for a long time. The symptoms of these diseases do not usually appear until about 20 to 30 years after the first exposure to asbestos.
People with asbestos related illnesses have often 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. People involved in the building industry and home renovations are also at risk.
Different forms, different risks
If asbestos fibres are in a stable material such as bonded in asbestos-cement sheeting such as fibro and in good condition they pose little health risk. However when the asbestos is broken, damaged or mishandled, fibres can become loose and airborne posing a risk to health.
In materials such as pipe lagging and sprayed roof insulation asbestos fibres are not bound in a matrix. High concentrations of fibres are much more likely to be released into the atmosphere when these materials are disturbed or removed.
Precautions
Do not disturb soil or any other material thought to be contaminated with asbestos fibres. Short-term precautions to minimise exposure can be found on the NSW government Health website, www.health.nsw.gov.au.
Containment
Only qualified tradespeople with training in suitable asbestos control measures can work in any areas identified as containing asbestos.
Further Advice on managing asbestos is available on the WorkCover website at www.workcover.nsw.gov.au or call 13 10 50.