Great site for general information

Cancer Council Australia

As Australia’s peak national non-government cancer control¹ organisation, Cancer Council Australia advises the Australian Government and other bodies on practices and policies to help prevent, detect and treat cancer. We also advocate for the rights of cancer patients for best treatment and supportive care.

Our vision

Minimise the threat of cancer to Australians, through successful prevention, best treatment and support.

Our mission

Lead a cohesive approach to reduce the impact of cancer.

Cancer Council Australia works with its members the eight state and territory cancer organisations to:

• undertake and fund cancer research
• prevent and control cancer
• provide information and support for people affected by cancer.

Cancer Council Australia was formerly called the Australian Cancer Society.

Safety Facts: Asbestos – what you should know.

Get to know Asbestos – The 20 Point Asbestos Safety Check

Full Story available at:  http://asbestosawareness.com.au/dangers-of-asbestos-nsw/safety-facts-nsw/?runonce=1

Aussie Building Sites Contaminated.

More than 50 building sites across the nation are suspected of illegal asbestos contamination from China, in a problem described as the “tip of the iceberg”.

Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency CEO Peter Tighe said he was aware of 64 sites where asbestos-tainted concrete fibre sheeting has been used in construction.

State workplace safety authorities are monitoring 17 sites in New South Wales, 13 in Queensland, 11 in South Australia and eight in Victoria.

By Angelique Donnellan

FULL STORY: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-02-14/australian-building-sites-contaminated-with-chinese-asbestos/7166674

 

Asbestos in the Home – The facts.

Asbestos fibres were used widely in building materials before the mid-1980s. If your house was built or renovated before the mid-1980s, it is likely to contain asbestos cement building materials.

You may be surprised at the various types of products that were made from bonded asbestos cement included fibro sheeting (flat and corrugated), water drainage and flue pipes, roofing shingles and guttering – even the backing of vinyl sheet floor coverings.

Unless you take the required safety precautions and follow regulations, Don’t cut it! Don’t drill it! Don’t drop it! Don’t sand it! Don’t saw it! Don’t scrape it! Don’t scrub it! Don’t dismantle it! Don’t tip it! Don’t waterblast it! Don’t demolish it! And whatever you do… Don’t dump it!

Further Website Info: http://asbestosawareness.com.au/asbestos-in-the-home/

Title: Don’t Play Renovation Roulette.

Home Page: http://asbestosawareness.com.au

Yes you can remove asbestos yourself… in certain circumstances.

Home renovators and owner-builders

The removal of asbestos containing materials from homes and workplaces has different obligations under different laws. The removal should only be done with specific care to avoid the release of asbestos fibres into the air.

Home renovators and owner-builders must hold a certificate obtained under arrangements approved or established by Queensland Health to remove more than 10 square metres of non-friable (also known as bonded) asbestos materials.

When it comes to asbestos removal and renovation, there are a number of prohibited activities ( http://www.deir.qld.gov.au/asbestos/manage/prohibited-activities.htm ) because of the potential to expose self, clients, family or neighbours with asbestos fibres.

Home renovators and owner-builders must comply with public health laws when removing non-friable asbestos-containing materials.

If the renovation involves the removal of non-friable asbestos containing materials, extreme care must be undertaken during the process.

Source: http://www.deir.qld.gov.au/asbestos

Full Article: http://www.deir.qld.gov.au/asbestos/manage/removal.htm

There’s something inspiring about this organisation. Read about them and learn how they help.

The Asbestos Diseases Society
of Australia Inc.

The Asbestos Diseases Society of Australia (Inc) (the Society) is a caring, non-profit, charitable organisation which was founded in 1979 to pursue the following broad objectives:

• Providing counselling and support services to those who develop asbestos-related diseases and their families
• Providing economic assistance to those who suffer financial hardship or social disadvantage as a result of contracting asbestos-related illness
• Political Lobbying and advocacy in asbestos-related matters
• Fundraising for medical research and support services for asbestos diseases victims and their families
• Raising community awareness of the dangers associated with asbestos in the community, and providing information thereon as requested

URL: http://www.asbestosdiseases.org.au/asbestos-disease-society-of-australia.html

Greater hope for mesothelioma sufferers.

Mesothelioma Cure

There is not yet an absolute cure for mesothelioma, but significant progress toward that goal is allowing patients to live longer and enjoy healthier lives, providing reasons for hope where once there were none.

Although funding for mesothelioma research is not in the ballpark of that of some other cancers, more researchers and disease specialists believe that finding a cure is not an unrealistic dream anymore. Alternative treatment options like immunotherapy and gene therapy, along with promising clinical trials, better drugs and a multimodal approach, dramatically changed the perception of a mesothelioma diagnosis within the past generation.

“Cure Meso” it’s more than a slogan on a T-shirt; Cure Meso is a reachable goal. Closer to a cure is a reality.

Author:- Karen Selby

Source:- http://www.asbestos.com

FULL ARTICLE:- http://www.asbestos.com/treatment/mesothelioma-cure.php

Just a little research provides a lot of saftety.

Asbestos in the Home

Asbestos fibres were used widely in building materials before the mid-1980s. If your house was built or renovated before the mid-1980s, it is likely to contain asbestos cement building materials.

You may be surprised at the various types of products that were made from bonded asbestos cement included fibro sheeting (flat and corrugated), water drainage and flue pipes, roofing shingles and guttering – even the backing of vinyl sheet floor coverings.

In NSW, the use of asbestos was discontinued in all fibro sheets and products by the mid-1980s. After this, asbestos continued to be used principally in friction products, for brake and clutch linings. The manufacture and use of asbestos products was banned nationally in Australia from 31 December 2003.

FULL STORY: http://asbestosawareness.com.au/asbestos-in-the-home/

Source:- http://asbestosawareness.com.au

The Chrysoltile Contraversy

To banish or not to banish?

Still today and this, in spite of the studies proving that it can be without danger when used in a safely manner, people preach the banishment of chrysotile. They say, to who wants to hear it, that chrysotile kills thousands of people. They however forget to tell the small history behind their headline, that is to say the story where it is explained that chrysotile was often mixed with amphiboles – large fibres responsible for cancer and mesothelioma – or was used, in the past, in a negligent way leaving the workers in clouds of dust.

Full Article: http://www.chrysotile.com

Source: http://www.chrysotile.com/en/chrysotile/controversy/default.aspx

How does compensation stay in tune with rising illness statistics?

Mesothelioma in Australia

Australia has the second-highest rate of mesothelioma deaths in the world, trailing only that of the United Kingdom. Mesothelioma, a rare cancer caused by asbestos exposure, is leaving its mark on the nation with more than 10,000 people succumbing to the disease since the early 1980s. According to cancer experts, an additional 25,000 people are expected to die from it over the next four decades.

The Australian Mesothelioma Registry concludes that 551 Australians died from mesothelioma in 2007, the most recent public accounting of the disease. Those figures also indicated that the disease toll was increasing over time, and different medical models point to a peak in deaths from mesothelioma coming somewhere between 2014 and 2021. The number of mesothelioma cases in the country is expected to reach 18,000, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.

Source: http://www.asbestos.com/mesothelioma/australia/