A new report from the Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency looks at ways to contain and stabilise asbestos when it is not immediately possible to remove it.
A new report from the Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency looks at ways to contain and stabilise asbestos, particularly in aged roofing.
The report - 'A review of asbestos stabilisation and containment practices' - examines situations where it is not immediately possible to remove asbestos, and outlines the products and practices that can go some way towards making it safer for the asbestos to remain in place, or to make it safer when it is being removed.
The Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency has a website for real estate agents to help them identify asbestos, and explains how to deal with properties when they do find the potentially deadly product.
Click here to visit the Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency's web page for real estate agents.
The study cited in the report finds support in the industry for a government incentive for dealing with and managing asbestos.
ASEA CEO Peter Tighe said, “A lot of asbestos has been removed from Australian buildings, but there’s a long way to go.
“In an ideal world, we would have all the resources we need to remove asbestos completely from all buildings. But in the short term, methods like encapsulation (when a cover is placed on the material containing asbestos to contain the fibres) are vastly preferable to doing nothing.”
Asbestos roofing is a particular problem in Australia, both in commercial and residential buildings. Its exposure to the elements means it is more likely to deteriorate over time than asbestos in area areas.
Click here to read the report 'A review of asbestos stabilisation and containment practices'.
Read more about asbestos in housing in Australia:
REINSW warns against renting asbestos homes