Loose asbestos fibres were pumped into the ceiling spaces of thousands of homes during the 60’s and 70’s. A couple of our members even worked for one of the companies that installed it and have a pretty good idea where it is still likely to be found. Other forms of asbestos containing ceiling insulation were also popular and any product installed before the 1980’s should be considered a risk.

This is the most dangerous form of asbestos and should not be disturbed under any circumstances, unless it is being removed by a suitably qualified asbestos removalist.

The fibres can clearly be seen in this close up.

We have done a little of our own research and are concerned that even some of the reputable companies are not providing enough information to their employees about how to identify asbestos and other harmful products.

Old synthetic mineral fibre (glasswool or rockwall) “batts” can also release dangerous fibres and should only be removed by trained personnel. We have been informed that some installers are being instructed to remove and dispose of any old insulation they encounter, while others are simply installing new insulation over the top of the old.

We suggest that the safest course of action is to assume that your installer is NOT adequately trained. Ask them not to enter your ceiling if they can see any old material or even excessive dust. Get a suitably qualified professional to take a sample and identify the material before you allow any work to occur in your ceiling, or the dust created may be deadly to you and the people who are doing the job.

The two directors of the multinational company Eternit, Swiss millionaire Stephan Schmidaeiny and the Belgian Baron Louis De Cartier, are being charged over the death of almost 2,200 people and over 700 ill. They are being charged with the deaths tied to the use of asbestos in manufacturing in four Italian enterprises. The main Counts are intentional environmental disaster and failure of voluntary safety standards. It is the first time in Europe that in a trial for environmental damages the civil parties will be represented by an international coalition: together with the lawyers of the CGIL (Italian peak union council), there are lawyers from France, Belgium, Switzerland and Germany. Also participating in the hearing will be some foreign delegations, including a group of miners from the French union CFDT. In court during the first hearing were 150 lawyers and associates, 110 journalists, 424 victims of asbestos diseases or their relatives, and representatives from 48 institutions, including administrators and the mayors of the municipalities affected by the disaster. The hearing will continue on January 25. It is possible that the contingent of eight lawyers representing victims will increase to include representatives of victims from Spain and Brazil. Eternit factories in Brazil are still in operation, while those in Spain have been closed. One of the current lawyers said their aim was to demonstrate that Eternit had a single director for health and safety in all countries. They are also claiming that among other things, the company for many years “recycled” production waste in the streets and infrastructure of the surrounding neighbourhoods in order to avoid appropriate disposal.

I don’t see why individuals shouldn’t be held responsible here. The James Hardie compensation isn’t likely to be adequate – and while we’re at it, we could get some money to help remove the enormous amount of asbestos that’s still in our environment.

Successive State and Federal Governments have failed to protect Australians from the dangers of asbestos. They allowed the mining, manufacture and distribution of asbestos containing products long after the hazards were known. When they were finally forced to acknowledge the problem, they dragged their feet in implementing a ban on the importation of asbestos products. They have failed to warn of us of the extent of and dangers of asbestos contamination and they have done nothing to assist in removing this deadly product from our environment. Are they afraid that if we all knew, we would be asking why it’s taken this long? And demanding they do something about it? Maybe even looking to them for compensation – why not? They could have prevented it!

After the fires and extreme winds of the January bushfires, instead of informing the public about the extreme danger of entering an area that is contaminated by asbestos after a fire and extreme winds, the Government effectively suspended the OH&S Regulations by Government Gazette and allowed a sub standard cleanup. We have just learned that this has recently been extended to March 2010.

Understandably, people were anxious to return to their homes and towns after the fires, but perhaps if they had been told that they could well be exposed to asbestos fibres if they did, they might have changed their minds.

Why don’t bushfire victims have the protection of the Occupational Health and Safety Act that the rest of us enjoy? We would hate to think that the Government were just saving themselves, and perhaps the insurance companies, the expense of doing it properly.

Australian State and Federal Governments have so far managed to avoid taking any responsibility for the deaths of thousands of people. It’s not good enough. Yes, removal is expensive, but so is looking after people who have asbestos related disease. If people start looking to them for compensation (as this writer intends to do if I am ever diagnosed with one), maybe they’ll decide it’s cheaper to get rid of it than to keep dealing with effects of asbestos exposure.