Australia Bushfires May Lead to Disruption of Asbestos
by CCUK Support
As you may have seen on the news recently, Australia has been hit by a spate of wildfires due to record temperatures in recent months. In conjunction with the devastating impact on the country’s wildlife and the effects of its smoke on air quality, it’s perhaps understandable that the threat of from asbestos has been neglected.
Along with many other countries through the 20th Century, Australia used asbestos for much of its construction following the First and Second World Wars. The use of asbestos in cement, known as ‘Fibro’, roofing and fencing along with loose fill insulation meant that by the end of the 1960’s at least 20% of all housing in Australia contained asbestos.
While there isn’t any specific evidence, there is a high chance that some of these materials were damaged when they were ravaged by the wildfires due to the age of a lot of the affected buildings.
Action is being taken against asbestos in the country, however this is not to remove the substance but rather to not disturb it, as removing the material may lead to further issues. Only in commercial buildings where the material presents a clear threat to health must asbestos be removed.
While not removing asbestos in these cases may be fine in theory, unpredictability of weather could cause extensive damage to materials containing asbestos, leading to serious health concerns.
Based on https://blueandgreentomorrow.com/environment/could-asbestos-be-hidden-danger-of-extreme-weather/
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