This Asbestos Awareness Week, the Minns Labor Government is calling on employers, workers, and home renovators across the state to remain vigilant to the dangers of asbestos exposure.
Asbestos is still present in 1 in 3 Australian homes, as well as in public and commercial buildings. More than 4,000 Australian lives are lost every year from asbestos related diseases.
National Asbestos Awareness Week (Monday 24 November to Sunday 30 November) serves as an important reminder on the importance of safety in handling materials that might contain asbestos.
In 2024-2025, approximately 126 cases of asbestosis, and 269 cases of mesothelioma were reported in NSW. A total of 213 deaths from asbestosis and mesothelioma have been reported.
SafeWork NSW works collaboratively with workers and industry to ensure asbestos in the workplace is managed and controlled appropriately. SafeWork NSW has a specialist Asbestos and Demolition compliance team that manages matters relating to asbestos in workplaces including:
- Issuing asbestos-related licenses, verifying compliance of current licence holders, providing technical advice, and regulating Registered Training Organisations that deliver asbestos training.
- Providing an Asbestos Awareness and Safety course through TAFE NSW which has been translated into multiple languages for culturally and linguistically diverse workers. The English and Mandarin versions of this course are both free until the end of 2025.
It is particularly important that small construction sites, including DIY and home renovators, are aware of the dangers of exposure to asbestos fibres and the need for hazard mitigation controls.
Employers and workers across the state can remain vigilant to the hazardous material by adhering to the following steps:
- If you're not sure whether asbestos might be present at a site, don't do anything until you've had it checked by a licensed asbestos professional.
- If you're working on a commercial building that was built before December 2003, ask to see a copy of the asbestos register before doing any work.
- For renovators and tradies working with asbestos or removing small amounts of non-friable asbestos (less than 10sq m), SafeWork NSW has launched an online asbestos awareness and safety course which will help meet your training obligations and provide workers the skills they need to stay safe when working with asbestos.
To find out more about the SafeWork NSW asbestos safety course, See here: https://store.training.tafensw.edu.au/product/asbestos-awareness-and-safety/
For more information about asbestos safety, visit the SafeWork NSW asbestos page:https://www.safework.nsw.gov.au/hazards-a-z/asbestos
Minister for Work Health and Safety Sophie Cotsis said:
"Employers have a responsibility to make sure their workers follow safe practices when working with asbestos - it's the best way to prevent dangerous exposure.
"Equally, for DIY renovators: the message is simple - know the risks, get informed, and when in doubt, call the experts.
"All workers have the right to go to work and return home to their loved ones at the end of their workday."
SafeWork NSW Commissioner Janet Schorer said:
"This National Asbestos Awareness Week, SafeWork NSW urges anyone working with asbestos to stay educated, know your rights and leave it to the experts.
"Unsafe work practices when working with asbestos can put you, your co-workers and anyone else that may come into contact with it at risk of a fatal disease.
"Prevention is always the best medicine for managing asbestos so stay vigilant, understand the risks of exposure, do your training, implement appropriate controls, wear your personal and respiratory protective equipment and work safely to avoid long term injury or death."
President of the Asbestos Diseases Foundation of Australia Barry Robson says:
"If asbestos is disturbed, it can release dangerous fine particles of dust containing asbestos fibres which can cause serious and fatal illness when inhaled.
"This National Asbestos Awareness Week, it's important to remember that if your home or commercial building was built or renovated before 1990, it may contain asbestos.
"If in doubt, contact a licensed asbestos assessor or refer to the SafeWork website which offers further guidance, resources and information on the asbestos awareness and safety course."
