Asbestos is the generic term for a number of fibrous silicate minerals. Products made from asbestos cement - a bonded asbestos material - include fibro sheeting (flat and profiled) guttering and downpipes, as well as other pipes for water, drainage or flues, corrugated roofing sheets, roofing shingles and guttering.

Asbestos is a type of building material used in the building industry between the 1940s and late 1980s.

Before the health risks were known, asbestos products were widely used because they were durable, fire resistant and had good insulation properties.

The manufacture and use of asbestos products was banned nationally from 31 December 2003. This ban applies to manufacture, supply, storage, sale, use, reuse, installation and replacement of asbestos.

For further information please contact your relevant local government authority or access further asbestos information by clicking on the following link:

http://asbestosawareness.com.au/

Why Can Asbestos Dust or Fibres be Dangerous to Your Health?

• You must observe safety precautions when removing or working with asbestos, otherwise you risk exposing yourself and your family to long-term health risks.Asbesto Awareness DEC 248
• There is no safe level of exposure to asbestos fibres!
• If asbestos is disturbed it can release dangerous fine particles of dust containing asbestos fibres
• Breathing in dust containing asbestos fibres can cause asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma
• Mesothelioma is a cancer which most often occurs in the lining of the lung. There is no cure
• The rates of malignant mesothelioma (an incurable cancer) are expected to rise from 2012 to 2020.
• The risk of contracting asbestos related diseases increases with the number of fibres inhaled and the length of time that you inhaled asbestos fibres (number of years exposed)
• The risk of lung cancer from inhaling asbestos fibres is greatly increased if you smoke
• Symptoms of asbestos dust related diseases do not usually appear until about 20 to 30 years after the first exposure to asbestos
• The average time between exposure and developing mesothelioma is about 45 years

For further information please contact your relevant local government authority or access further asbestos information by clicking on the following link:

http://asbestosawareness.com.au/

Friable vs non-friable asbestos

Asbestos-containing materials fall into two broad categories: friable and non-friable (also known as bonded).

'Friable' is used to refer to asbestos-containing materials that can be easily reduced to powder when crushed by hand, when dry.

These materials can contain high percentages of asbestos fibres and are more likely to release these fibres into the airborne environment when disturbed. As such, they pose a greater risk to health.

Friable materials must only be handled and removed by an asbestos removalist with an 'A' class licence.

Examples of friable asbestos-containing materials include:

• some sprayed on fire retardants
• sound proofing and insulation
• the lining on some old domestic heaters, stoves and hot water systems and associated pipe lagging
• the backing of sheet vinyl and linoleum floor coverings
• thermal lagging, such as pipe insulation.

'Non-friable', or bonded asbestos is used to refer to asbestos-containing materials in which the asbestos is firmly bound in the matrix of the material. These materials are unlikely to release measurable levels of asbestos fibre into the airborne environment if they are left undisturbed. Therefore, they generally pose a lower risk to health.

They are mainly made up of asbestos fibres together with a bonding compound (such as cement), and typically contain up to 15 per cent asbestos.

Non-friable materials containing asbestos are solid, quite rigid and the asbestos fibres are tightly bound in the material. Non-friable materials containing asbestos are the most common in domestic houses. They are commonly called 'fibro', 'asbestos cement' and 'AC sheeting'.

Examples of non-friable asbestos-containing materials include:

• asbestos cement products (flat, profiled and corrugated sheeting used in walls, ceilings and roofs, moulded items such as downpipes)
• plaster patching compounds
• textured paint
• vinyl floor coverings.

For further information please contact your relevant local government authority or access further asbestos information by clicking on the following link:

http://www.deir.qld.gov.au/asbestos/index.htm

There are a range of great guides and resources available.  We have included a small selection below for your reference:

Asbestos - A Guide for householders and the general public
The Commonwealth publication for the general public on health risks associated with asbestos, especially during home renovations.

Asbestos: a guide for minor renovation
Find out how to handle, remove and dispose of asbestos safely and legally in Queensland.

Asbestos and home renovations
Play it safe with asbestos - Don't risk exposing yourself or others to airborne asbestos fibres during your renovation. 

Containment and disposal of asbestos contaminated dust and debris arising from fire damaged buildings
This guidance note provides information on the management of fire damaged buildings that have asbestos containing materials (ACMs).

Water blasting equipment tag

There are a wide range of fact sheets, guides and checklists available.  Please find a selection below for your reference:

Asbestos bags recycled for use in carpet
The Western Australian Department of Health (WA Health) has found that a significant quantity of hessian bags used to transport asbestos, wool, superphosphate and potatoes were recycled with other material, such as jute and goat hair, to manufacture carpet underlay prior to the early 1970s.

Asbestos and fire damaged buildings
Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral fibre that was used in many building materials until the late 1980s, such as asbestos cement (fibro).

Asbestos flooring
Information regarding asbestos backed vinyl sheet flooring and vinyl tiles containing asbestos.

Cleaning asbestos cement roofs
Cleaning a fibro roof with a high pressure water blaster is illegal as it can destroy the roof surface, cause cement debris and asbestos to spray into the air, and result in widespread contamination.

Handling asbestos safely after a storm
It is essential to protect yourself and others when removing debris particularly when asbestos is concerned.

Heads of Workplace Safety Authorities - Rapid Response Protocol
The Rapid Response Protocol (the Protocol) has been developed to enable government agencies to work cooperatively and efficiently across jurisdiction and portfolio lines when products have been identified as containing asbestos and there is concern such products may cross/have crossed state lines.

Is it safe? Cracked, damaged or weathered asbestos cement sheeting
Asbestos cement sheeting is a building material used in many Queensland houses. If a house was built before 1990, it is likely to have some asbestos cement sheeting in it.

Management of asbestos incidents
Guide to agency response and management of events involving asbestos containing material (asbestos incident).

Play it safe with asbestos: tips for property managers
Play it safe when repairing or renovating rental properties.

Asbestos health risks
This guidance note is about the hazards that asbestos presents to human health through occupational exposure and/or environmental exposure.

If you're studying nationally recognised training in Australia from 1 January 2015, you are required to have a Unique Student Identifier (USI).

Your USI links to an online account that contains all your training records and results that you have completed from 1 January 2015 onwards and without this number we cannot issue you your statement of attainment.

If you do not already have a USI please click on the following link to create one.

https://www.usi.gov.au/students/create-your-usi

It is a straight forward process to complete this online and you will require a Driver's Licence, Medicare Card, Australian Passport or Birth Certificate to proceed.