Recently, I started a refurb on my kitchen. I love doing DIY around the house, but do you know who doesn’t like me doing it? Yes, my wife. I may have caused a few minor disasters in the past, but in general, I think I’ve had more successes than failures. Before I started, she asked me to google ‘Asbestos removal in Newcastle’. To be honest, I thought she was being paranoid, but after a few hours of googling about asbestos, I realised she was right.

I learned a lot about asbestos use in Australia, and some of it is quite disturbing. Such as asbestos still kills more than 4000 people each year in Australia! It also has one of the highest rates of mesothelioma, with between 700 and 800 people diagnosed with it each year. There is a lot more, so I decided to write a post about my findings as I think people should be more aware of asbestos removal and its dangers.

My family has lived in Lake Macquarie for over 100 years. Our family home was passed on to us by my parents. I think it was built in the 50s and has not changed much. This is what got me on the refurb path. I was fed up with the look of the place and had done minor DIY and cover-up jobs over the years but now was time for a major overhaul.

I knew asbestos was banned in Australia in December 2004, but I didn’t know that asbestos and asbestos-containing material are estimated to be in 1 out of 3 properties. After some research, I realised ours is most probably one of them. So if your property was built before 1990, it probably has asbestos in it.

Australia’s government website says asbestos or asbestos-containing materials can be found in these places:

This list is not complete, but you can read more about asbestos in the home here. If you suspect asbestos in your home, it is best to contact an asbestos removal expert before renovating or demolishing.

You cannot determine if asbestos is in a material just by looking at it. A sample has to be tested in an accredited National Association of Testing (NATA) laboratory. This is why it is best to err on the side of caution before attempting asbestos removal in Lake Macquarie.

Asbestos is a mineral that is made up of tiny, microscopic fibres. It is generally safe when undamaged and undisturbed. Problems occur when it is disturbed as the fibres become airborne and are easily inhaled. The asbestos fibres can be trapped in the lungs, leading to life-threatening diseases such as cancer.

Some of the health risks of inhaling asbestos dust or fibres are:

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there is no safe level of asbestos exposure that can protect you from developing an asbestos-related disease. The WHO estimates that asbestos is the cause of approximately half of the deaths from occupational cancer. It states that currently, about 125 million people worldwide are exposed to asbestos in the workplace.

Asbestos was widely used because it can withstand heat, decay and erosion. It is affordable and is an insulator against heat and electricity. This is why its use was so widespread in Australia and other countries. A link between blue asbestos and asbestos-related cancer mesothelioma was discovered as early as 1964. However, asbestos and asbestos-containing materials continued to be used until its ban in Australia on 31 December 2003.

Asbestos was still being mined in Australia until 1984. In addition, 1.5 million tonnes of asbestos were imported between 1930 and 1983. So if your house was built before 1990, it likely has asbestos-containing materials in it. This is why a certified asbestos removal company must carry out asbestos removal in Newcastle and other areas.

One of the biggest problems of asbestos exposure is that many of the health risks associated with it usually develop 20-40 years after the initial exposure. This is called the latency period, and you do not feel sick during this period, only after the latency period. This makes it even more dangerous because by the time many people are diagnosed, it is too late.