Asbestos is a group of naturally occurring minerals found in rock, sediment or soil. It is made up of very strong, heat‑resistant fibres. Because of this, it was widely used in building materials in Australia until it was banned in 2003.
Breathing in asbestos fibres can cause serious diseases, including lung cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma. These illnesses often take many years or even decades to develop after exposure.
Airborne asbestos fibres are extremely small, around 50 to 200 times thinner than a human hair. They are microscopic and cannot be seen with the naked eye and can be easily breathed in.
You can reduce your risk of exposure by leaving asbestos products undisturbed.
Types of asbestos
The three most common types of asbestos used in Western Australia are:
- chrysotile (white asbestos)
- amosite (brown asbestos)
- crocidolite (blue asbestos).
Asbestos materials are classed as:
- Friable: Can be easily crumbled or crushed into a powder. Friable asbestos poses a higher risk of releasing airborne fibres when handled or disturbed.
- Non-friable (bonded): Asbestos fibres are mixed with cement or resin to hold them in place. However, fibres can still be released if the material is damaged or broken, for example through weathering (age-related deterioration), fire, impact or cutting with power tools.
Where is asbestos found?
In Western Australia, asbestos was widely used in homes and workplaces before 1990. It is commonly found in:
- roofs, fences and wall cladding
- wet areas such as kitchens, bathrooms and laundries
- eaves, gutters and downpipes
- vinyl flooring and carpet underlay
- insulation in ceilings and around pipes.
If your home was built before 1990, it likely contains asbestos. Treat any material you suspect might contain asbestos with caution. To learn more, see Asbestos in a home.
The Asbestos and Silica Safety and Eradication Agency provides more information on how you can identify asbestos in your home.
If there is asbestos in your workplace, you must manage the risks. This includes:
- keeping an asbestos register
- having an asbestos management plan.
To learn more, see Asbestos in a workplace.
Safe handling of asbestos
There is no safe level of exposure to asbestos fibres. When asbestos is damaged or disturbed, fibres can become airborne and pose a serious health risk.
If you see damaged asbestos, including broken asbestos-cement fences or illegally dumped asbestos, contact your local government environmental health officer. You can find your local council on MyCouncil.
Before you start any work that might disturb building materials, you must find out if asbestos is present. This should be done by a competent person with the right training and experience in asbestos identification.
Any material suspected of containing asbestos must be tested by a NATA accredited laboratory. If asbestos is confirmed, clearly mark the area and apply warning labels to prevent others from disturbing it by accident.
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