Australia has struggled with asbestos for decades. It was the world’s leading producer and exporter of Crocidolite (Blue Asbestos) for years. And even as the rest of the world recognized the dangers of asbestos, Australian officials were slow to act. In fact, Australia remained one of the last safe havens for asbestos use in the industrialized world into the 2000’s.
However, officials are now getting very serious about asbestos in Australia. With continued pressure from residents and foreign bodies alike and the high rates of mesothelioma, asbestos is now public enemy #1 in the nation. Still, hundreds of thousands of homes, schools, hospitals, and more still contain deadly amounts of this known carcinogen.
That’s where asbestos abatement experts come in. These highly trained professionals are educated in the dangers of asbestos and take the necessary precautions to safely remove asbestos and asbestos products so that property owners can live, work, and play in safety. However, some contractors are less scrupulous than others. In order to save money they are willing to cut corners, ignore regulations, and deceive inspectors, property owners, and the general public.
Abatement fraud has been a huge issue here in the United States with billions of dollars’ worth of fines being levied by the EPA and OSHA annually. However, until recently, abatement fraud was generally overlooked in Australia.
The Environmental Protection Authority and SafeWork SA (the South Australian equivalent of the EPA and OSHA) will now audit abatement contractors with surprise inspections that are designed to catch violators and encourage compliance.
SafeWork SA executive director Juanita Lovatt said in a statement earlier this month that “the safe removal of asbestos – from identification to disposal – is crucial not just for the occupants of buildings and homes where it is found, but for the workers who must carry out the job.” This new focus on worker safety comes on the heels of the federal government’s creation of a national body tasked with planning complete removal of all asbestos from buildings public and private nationwide.
It’s an ambitious task that will take generations and billions of dollars to implement but could save hundreds of thousands of lives. It’s also a move that government officials see as necessary. Australia has the highest reported per capita incidence of asbestos-related diseases in the world.
“Those who fail to meet their licensing obligations will be issued with appropriate compliance notices,” Lovatt says. Fines will follow and if regulations continue to be ignored, criminal charges may be levied against these licensed “removalists.”