Cancer and asbestos

Asbestos is a group of naturally occuring minerals made up of tiny fibres. When disturbed, asbestos forms dust. If you breathe in asbestos dust, fibres can go into the

lungs

and stay there for many years.

Asbestos used to be a common building material, but now we know that exposure to asbestos can cause illnesses like

cancer

Asbestos was banned in Australia in 2004. It is illegal to store, sell, install or re-use any products containing asbestos in Australia, and no asbestos products may be imported. Asbestos products already in place are allowed and many buildings and houses still have asbestos in them. Everyone needs to take special care to avoid asbestos dust at home and work.

High-risk jobs and asbestos

Almost everyone has been exposed to asbestos in small degrees. People with certain jobs are at greater risk than others, even if it was a long time ago. Some high risk jobs are:

builders

plumbers

gasfitters and electricians

metal-fitters, turners and toolmakers

boilermakers and welders

steelworkers

insulators

mechanics

transport, sea and wharf or waterside workers

automotive industry workers

telecommunications technicians

textile workers

asbestos mining and cement manufacturing

If you are worried about asbestos at your job, speak to your

or call

WorkSafe

External Link

1800 136 089

Asbestos in your home

Many homes built before 1990 contain some asbestos. You can’t usually tell where asbestos is in your house by looking at it.

You can pay someone to inspect and test your house for asbestos. If you are doing any kind of renovations at home it is very important to check for asbestos first.

Some of the parts of your home that may contain asbestos are:

in the roof

in the eaves

old vinyl tiles

and many more places.

See

Asbestos in

Victoria

External Link

for further information.

Asbestos safety

There are strict rules to make sure people are not exposed to asbestos at work. These include wearing special protective equipment and following safety procedures.

If you need to remove asbestos in your house, or if you are doing renovations, you can get help and advice on how to do this safely.

See

Asbestos in

Victoria

External Link

for further information.

Asbestos and lung cancer

Asbestos can cause lung cancer. People who smoke have an even higher risk of developing lung cancer. If you are worried about your risk of lung cancer because of asbestos, talk to your GP. You can find out more about

lung cancer symptoms and treatment

Asbestos and mesothelioma

Mesothelioma

is a cancer that is mainly caused by asbestos. Mesothelioma takes many years to develop, often around 40 years after exposure but may be 10 to 60 years. Even if you haven’t been exposed to asbestos for many years, it is unfortunately possible to develop mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma often affects the lungs but it is not the same as lung cancer. Mesothelioma can also the tummy (abdomen) or testicles, but this is less common.

Australia has one of the highest rates of mesothelioma in the world. This because asbestos was used herein products, housing and mining over many years.

Most people who are exposed to asbestos in small amounts do not develop mesothelioma. If you are worried about your risk of mesothelioma, speak to your GP.

Cancer and asbestos

Cancer and asbestos

Similar