Am I at risk?

Workers involved in refurbishment, maintenance and other similar trades, could be at risk of exposure to asbestos during their work. This includes:

This list does not include all occupations at risk from potential exposure to asbestos.

When am I most at risk?

You are most at risk when:

the building you are working on was built before the year 2000
you are working on an unfamiliar site
asbestos-containing materials were not identified before the job was started
asbestos-containing materials were identified but this information was not passed on by the people in charge to the people doing the work
you haven't done a risk assessment
you don't know how to recognise and work safely with asbestos
you have not had appropriate information, instruction and training
you know how to work safely with asbestos, but you choose to put yourself at risk by not following proper precautions, perhaps to save time or because no one else is following proper procedures

you can't see or smell asbestos fibres in the air
the effects of being exposed to asbestos take many years to show up - avoid breathing it in now
people who smoke and are also exposed to asbestos fibres are at a much greater risk of developing lung cancer
asbestos is only a danger when fibres are made airborne and breathed in
as long as the asbestos is in good condition and it is located somewhere where it can't be easily damaged then it shouldn't be a risk to you

Some of the places where you may find it can be found in our residential and industrial building diagrams.

The section on 'Managing and working with asbestos' provides further information on working with asbestos.