Your average Australian worker wont be able to easily spot asbestos. Perhaps that’s why almost 10,000 Australians have succumbed to mesothelioma (a rare cancer caused by exposure to asbestos) since the 1980s.
If it’s not properly identified, handled and disposed of,asbestos could affect you or your employees . To help make sure this doesn’t happen, we’ve put together a list of professions most at risk of asbestos exposure, and provided an easy method to safeguard your workplace.
Are your workers clued on on asbestos?
The professions most at risk of asbestos related disease
With the help of a 2014 Safe Work Australia report we’ve uncovered the professions that are most at risk of claiming compensation due to the effects of asbestos exposure. They are as follows:
- Carpentry and joinery trades persons.
- Construction and plumber’s assistants.
- Electricians.
- Freight and furniture handlers.
- Metal fitters and machinists.
- Sea transport professionals.
Shockingly, 73 per cent of claims over asbestos related health issues came from tradespeople and related workers such as the ones listed above. If your business fits into any of these categories, or if you think you could be affected by asbestos, take action quickly to ensure that you and your workers remain safe.
How long does it take to be affected?
Shockingly, 73 per cent of claims over asbestos related health issues came from tradespeople.
It can take months, years or even decades for the healtheffects of asbestos to show. Less serious afflictions such as benign pleural disease show up after seven years, and require little more than regular check-ups to treat.
More serious diseases such as asbestosis or lung cancer are associated with heavier exposure to asbestos, and can arise between 10 and 20 years afterwards. Most ominous of all the asbestos afflictions is mesothelioma. This can be caused by light exposure to the material and can take up to 20 or 40 years to materialise.
Putting yourself and your employees at risk is simply not worth it and should be avoided at all costs.
Training can help to keep you and your workers safe
All it takes to protect yourself and your employees against asbestos exposure is the right training and knowledge. Here at Alertforce we offer a range of courses suitable for everyone from casual labourers to asbestos removal professionals.
All our courses are nationally recognised and of the highest quality – so book a course today to start protecting yourself and your employees against asbestos.
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