Asbestos has been banned in Australia since the 80’s but our workers are facing exposure from imported building products from China

Many of us think the risk of exposure to Asbestos in today’s society is from products already in houses and buildings that are being renovated or demolished.  Well think again!  Somehow the Chinese have been able to import building products (concrete fibre sheeting) into Australia.

Many Australian building sites are contaminated with deadly asbestos. According to Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency, 64 sites used asbestos-contaminated concrete fibre sheeting in construction imported from China.

Workplace safety authorities are monitoring 17 sites in New South Wales, 13 in Queensland, 11 in South Australia and 8 in Victoria.

An import ban has been in place in Australia for more than a decade. However, the deadly compound continues to illegally enter the country through products often labeled as “asbestos-free.

The use of asbestos has been banned in Australia since the 1980s. It is estimated that more than 25,000 Australians will die from asbestos-related diseases in the next 40 years.