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17 March
2005 |
Mosman Green
Asbestos Dust from Renovations KILLS
Live Demonstration
Asbestos dust can become a deadly side affect of renovations,
Archicentre, the building advisory service of the Royal Australian
Institute of Architects said today.
Archicentre will stage a live
safe asbestos removal program for the media today at its
renovation demonstration property at Mosman in Sydney this
morning as part of its Renovator Safety program.
State Manager of Archicentre NSW & ACT, Mr David Lawrence
said: "The live demonstration provides an opportunity
to again highlight the dangers facing people renovating who
breathe in asbestos dust which attacks the lungs."
"With hundreds of thousands
of renovations taking place each year in Australia , the
potential for family members including young children and
babies to contract asbestos related disease is high, especially
if people are living in the home whilst the renovation is
in progress."
Mosman Green Home
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One-third of all houses built in Australia
before 1982 contain some asbestos. Because of its attributes
to resist heat, flexibility and adhesiveness, it was
used as a form of insulation around the pipes behind
radiators or wood-burning stoves, used for roofing,
eaves, shingles, wall cladding and some plaster and
paint.
The asbestos in these products is usually embedded
in the sheet but if the sheets start to weather or
break the harmful killer fibres can be released.
The real problem begins when people go to renovate
and start cutting, sanding, drilling, grinding or
pulling up the material and cause the deadly dust.
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"If the cement sheet was bought and installed five years
ago, it should be safe, but if it was installed before 1983
than there could be a problem," says Mr Lawrence. In this
case, removal of the sheeting would probably be wise, however,
it should only be done by professionals.
Archicentre called in to do pre-purchase housing and design
inspections is often alarmed to find renovations have been
started involving asbestos dust, without the owners receiving
specialist advice from licensed asbestos removalists.
With more than 500 people a year contracting the disease,
Australia has the highest per capita incidence of mesothelioma
(a cancer caused by exposure to asbestos) in the world.
The Asbestos Diseases Foundation of Australia estimates the
number of people diagnosed with asbestos related diseases will
not peak until 2020 - by then there will be 13,000 cases of
mesothelioma and up to 40,000 cases of asbestos-related lung
cancer.... 53,000 cases of incurable cancer caused by asbestos
over the next 20 years! (Estimated by Prof Henderson - Flinders
University )
Removal and disposal of asbestos cement sheet should only
be undertaken by a licensed asbestos removal company. Asbestos
removal can add substantially to the cost of renovation or
maintenance.
Specialist removalists will take precautions like:
* Wearing protective masks and
clothing
* Using hand tools and not power tools for cutting
* Not abrading or breaking up the product whenever possible
* Thoroughly wetting the product
prior to working with it
* Working outdoors rather than indoors, and
* Wetting any residue prior
to sweeping
We advise home owners undertaking any renovation of their
home to have a health and safety plan in place if they are
doing it themselves.
If professional builders or tradesmen are undertaking the
renovation then part of the contract should clearly include
a reference to health and safety matters and current public
risk insurance policy. It is important to have regular inspections
throughout the project to ensure the builder is complying with
the health and safety issues in the contract.
"The bottomline is that people need to realise that
a renovation can be extremely hazardous and there needs to
be constant monitoring of the site to ensure the families'
safety," Mr Lawrence added.
Media Enquiries:
David Lawrence State Manager Archicentre NSW & ACT (02) 9555 5111 Mobile
: 0407 833 324
Ron Smith Corporate Media Communications (03) 9818 5700
The Mosman Green renovation and construction will be over
the next seven months and can be followed on
http://www.archicentre.com.au/mosmangreen/index.htm
Facts
Asbestos is a patient killer.
It takes an average 37 years from the time of exposure to
its deadly fibres before the onset of mesothelioma.
Mesothelioma is a cancer that causes extreme pain and breathlessness
as the tumour crushes the lung. There are no cures and it is
inevitably fatal within about 12 months of diagnosis.
Australia has the highest per capita incidence of mesothelioma
in the world. More than 500 Australians a year are contracting
the disease.
For each diagnosed case of mesothelioma, research shows there
are two additional cases of asbestos-related lung cancer and
non-malignant asbestos-related disease.
Media Invitation
Advance Notice
Asbestos Removal Live Demonstration
Mosman Green
21 Killarney Street Mosman
10:00am Thursday
17 th March 2005
Please Register RSVP Kate Froggatt on (02) 9555 5111
Media Enquiries:
David Lawrence State Manager ACT & NSW Archicentre (02) 9555 5111 Mobile
0407 833 324
Ron Smith Corporate Media Communications (03) 9818 5700
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