Category: Asbestos

The Shadow Of Asbestos Still Haunts!

This week is Asbestos Awareness Week in Australia. Asbestos Awareness Week provides an important reminder as we head into end of year period when people may be looking to undertake renovation or DIY work on older properties and the need to be vigilant in managing safety on site.

https://www.asbestossafety.gov.au/national-asbestos-awareness-week-2024

If you’re working on homes built before 1990, you need to assume asbestos could be present in elements such as cladding, eave sheets, electrical switchboards, internal linings and even in pipework, roofing and floor underlays.

It is vital to engage a licensed assessor for inspection and testing, and if asbestos is found, ensure it’s removed by a licensed professional.

Check out out YouTube Channel where we feature Gill’s research into the whole asbestos scandal. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cocjr_xgqDI&list=PLBY81JyA5KYW_5nJ_rkFMjLpR5Be_ctHj

4,000 people are dying each and every year across Australia from exposure to Asbestos, a process which can take many years from initial exposure, as I know from personal experience, as my wife Gill died from exposure.

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We launched Asbestos Awareness Australia, a charity to raise awareness and to campaign for reform. Unfortunately politicians do not want to touch this live rail, despite one in three homes containing asbestos, the fact we continue to import board containing Asbestos and the rising number of deaths from exposure among women.

http://www.martinnorth.com/

Go to the Walk The World Universe at https://walktheworld.com.au/

Tip Of The Asbestos Iceberg: The Nightmare Continues Across NSW

More sites have now been confirmed to have asbestos including transport infrastructure projects, primary and secondary schools, supermarkets and hospitals, according to the EPA, across NSW. The premier, Chris Minns, has said the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) is examining the sites as it undertakes its largest investigation ever.

The agency on Saturday said a public school, park, and two part-built housing estates were tainted, while transport projects, a warehouse and a hospital have also been confirmed as impacted.

The activity underway to tackle exposed sites is a pimple compared with the total load in the community. But of course, agencies do not want to take the lid off that can, so individuals must become asbestos aware, that is the cornerstone of our ongoing campaign over at Asbestos Awareness Australia.

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https://www.youtube.com/@UCZq09OVTbSjuadMKi6MRkVw

Child Finds Killer Asbestos In Playground!

Once again, another horrifying sage of dumped asbestos turning up in the wrong place, with potentially fatal consequences.

As the Guardian reported, Asbestos has been found in additional samples of garden mulch taken from the Rozelle parklands in Sydney’s inner west, with the state government still unable to say where else in the city the contaminated material may have been used.

After an initial find, an urgent audit was under way to determine what other sites could be affected by what the premier, Chris Minns, described as “a toxic substance”. The government closed the Rozelle parklands to the public and called in contamination experts just three weeks after the park opened above the interchange.

The nearly 10 hectares of green space includes extensive cycleways and green expanses alongside large exhaust stacks for the tunnels below. The parkland was meant to appease inner west residents who had put up with years of tunnelling noises and road closures during the construction of the Rozelle interchange.

The premier said the government needed to know where potentially contaminated mulch had been used “as soon as possible” so it could close the other sites.

“I realise that is massively inconvenient during the school holidays … but we can’t muck around with safety – this is obviously a toxic substance,” Minns said.

John Holland built the interchange and the park. One of its executives, Mark Davies, said he could not immediately disclose a list of the other sites where the mulch had been used.

Over 97% of the asbestos products used in Australia was non-friable material in which the asbestos fibres were bonded by cement, vinyl, resin or other similar material. This form of asbestos product/material is often cited as quite safe unless damaged, sawn, drilled, sanded, crushed or is excessively weathered; But if any of these occur, then non-friable hard bonded asbestos products may release fibres and become friable.

In other words, bonded asbestos is not safe. Corrugated asbestos sheet roofing often shows signs of weathering. When it’s broken into smaller fragments, fibres are released. So Non-friable (bonded) asbestos has the potential to become equally as dangerous as friable asbestos, a distinction should never be made because of the type, colour or form of asbestos – all types, colours and forms of asbestos have the potential to kill people!

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http://www.martinnorth.com/

Go to the Walk The World Universe at https://walktheworld.com.au/

A Death, A Legacy And A Quest…

On the 23rd December 2021 Gill, my wife of 28 years died as a result of exposure to Asbestos and the cruel disease of mesothelioma.

There are articles in a number of places, including The Daily Mail, about her story:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10341353/Husbands-farewell-Gillian-North-warned-home-renovators-died-asbestos-related-cancer.html

And her story is also told on the video I made, incorporating A Current Affair footage back in 2021.

In memory of her we continue to run Asbestos Awareness Australia, a charity Gill launched before her death, to help to raise awareness in the community of the scourge of asbestos, which still remains in about one home in three.

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It kills several thousand people each year and around 800 of which are from mesothelioma in Australia. In 2022, it is estimated that there were 761 deaths from mesothelioma in Australia.

So, the legacy of Gills death is our commitment to continue to raise awareness of this pernicious product, continue to lobby Government for better reforms – Gill published a series of research papers on just this point – available from the Asbestos Awareness Australia web site, and the Quest is to ensure that ordinary Australians are better aware of the risks stemming from Asbestos.

And while its good to know that engineered stone, which has caused problems for those working in that industry is to be banned, Asbestos is the elephant in the room still killing thousands each year, and it’s in one third of homes across the country. And no, it is not just multiple exposures, one exposure to a few fibres is sufficient, and even undisturbed asbestos continues to deteriorate over time, so there is no such thing as safe asbestos if its left in situ. And it can take years for the disease to show.

Think Asbestos!

http://www.martinnorth.com/

Go to the Walk The World Universe at https://walktheworld.com.au/

Life Lessons From A Death!

My thoughts on the first anniversary of Gill’s death, and what I have learnt.

We have succeeded in raising the awareness of the risks from asbestos exposure, despite the clear wish from politicians to ignore the issue, thanks to Asbestos Awareness Australia.

https://www.youtube.com/@asbestosawarenessaustralia162/featured

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The estate administration continues thanks to so many poor processes across Australian institutions from banks through to the ATO.

And as I come to terms with the life changing event, I now consider the future and what I plan to achieve.

Oh, and my two canine friends are a big part of the picture too.

http://www.martinnorth.com/

Go to the Walk The World Universe at https://walktheworld.com.au/

The Elephant In The Room: How Dangerous Is Asbestos Exposure When Renovating?

Did you know that statistically, over 4,000 people die each year due to asbestos exposure? Not only that – one out of three properties in Australia contain asbestos, and most occupants aren’t even aware of it! 

Knowing this, why is this issue yet to be addressed properly?

How serious is this problem, and how can you make sure that you’re safe from it?

Martin North of Asbestos Awareness Australia will walk us through everything we need to know about asbestos and how to deal with it, and the dangerous consequences its presence poses in property. We’ll also discuss myths about asbestos, the lack of action most people have, accreditation for asbestos removal, and more.

If you enjoy the show, do like, rate, subscribe, and share us on social media and if you have your own questions you need clarity on, email us at questions@theelephantintheroom.com.au!

See you in the episode!

Episode Highlights:

  1. A warning for property owners [01:38]
  2. The problem with asbestos [03:53]
  3. Are Australians aware of this asbestos issue? [08:50]
  4. The dangers of not knowing if there’s asbestos in your property [11:56]
  5. Is asbestos fine on your property as long as it’s not disturbed? [16:59]
  6. The lack of action towards asbestos [20:34]
  7. More women are being diagnosed with mesothelioma due to DIYs [25:39]
  8. Driving political change that addresses the issue [28:23]
  9. The urgency when dealing with asbestos [34:54] 
  10. Debunking the myths about asbestos [37:25]
  11. Checking a service provider’s accreditation for asbestos removal [39:36]
  12. How the UK deals with the dangers of asbestos [42:10]
  13. Don’t just leave it to the government [45:00]
  14. Remember to wear a mask and other protective equipment [49:17]

Links from the Show:

DFA Live Special Event: HD Replay Gill North Memorial And Celebration

This is an edited version of our celebration and memorial for my wife Gill North who recently died from Mesothelioma. Friends and family added their words to mine, as we told her story, and that of the creation of Asbestos Awareness Australia (AAA). We monetized the stream to raise funds for AAA to allow us to continue Gills work. What a legacy!

The first part is an image montage, and tributes will commence at around 30 mins.

You can make a donation (tax deductible) via the charity web site, or using the payment platforms below. Every dollar goes towards the awareness campaign.

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A Matter Of Live And Death!

On the first day of 2022, we replay the recent A Current Affair segment (with permission) in which two days before she died, Gill North spoke about her battle with Mesothelioma, a cancer caused directly by exposure to Asbestos.

This is a stark warning to DIY renovators, property owners and renters to “THINK ASBESTOS”.

You can find more information, and Gill’s research on Asbestos Awareness Australia, a registered charity. https://asbestosawarenessaustralia.com.au/

Please share this post with anyone considering any renovation or property related activity, we need to stop the 4,000 unnecessary deaths each year in Australia, and more elsewhere.

You can support the charity via the link above, or through these payment platforms. We are also monetizing the stream in support of AAA.