The Asbestos Disease Support Society (ADSS) is expressing concerns for the community, volunteers and workers following the recent devasting impact of flood waters in South-East Queensland.
"Given the age of some buildings in affected areas, it is highly likely debris and damaged walls, roofs and floors will contain asbestos. Asbestos can be found in such things as fibro wall sheeting, corrugated super six rooves, Hardie plank cladding and the older type of lino," said ADSS General Manager, Trevor Torrens.
Mr Torrens urged the community and the volunteer "mud" army and other workers expected to help flood affected areas to be careful and treat every pile of damaged building material as asbestos-contaminated until professional tests proved otherwise. Failure to take precautions now could result in potentially fatal health issues many years after the impacts of a severe weather event were a distant memory.
"One of the great things about Queenslanders and natural disasters is that it brings out the best of our community spirit and when we're hit by these sorts of events, the tendency is to launch into it very quickly to provide others with assistance," said Mr Torrens.
He says in the rush to clean up in the aftermath of a cyclone, flood or bushfire, the health risks posed by broken sheets of asbestos can easily be forgotten.
Mr Torrens urged people to take extreme care during the repair and clean-up period, especially on older buildings that were more likely to have asbestos materials or to leave it to professionals.
The longer the debris is left out, the more dangerous it becomes. As the materials dry, the asbestos fibres dislodge and become airborne. When asbestos fibres get into the lungs, which can occur if the asbestos product is disturbed or in a friable condition, it can cause deadly conditions like mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung and other cancers. Known as the latency period, these diseases can take many decades to develop.
Anyone who thinks they have been exposed to asbestos containing materials can contact ADSS for advice and
