Asbestos is a silent killer and our ignorance is putting people in danger
Asbestos is the word of the week, and for good reason - it's dangerous stuff. The list of where it can be contained in a property is neverending, from sheeting, tiles, splashbacks and coatings to the glue itself used to hold everything together.
Since it is asbestos week, the media and a number of government agencies are actively getting behind the issue of asbestos and the dangers it poses in and around homes. Most of the drive is centred on the concerns relating to renovations, particularly for DIY renovators. Yes, 61% of DIY renovations are affected but what about the dangers faced by tenants in some areas of Sydney where properties are riddled with compromised asbestos sheeting?
Some weeks ago I noted this (in a video filmed at a rental here) and made calls to radio stations to inform the public of the then asbestos dangers we will face due to the Blue Mountains fires. At the time, the insurance companies were requesting owners of the burnt out properties to go to their site and photograph their homes. I made a call and alluded to the imminent dangers of such a request; the primary factor being the simple reason that the asbestos sheeting in the burnt out homes were compromised and had turned to dust, therefore making it highly toxic.
Similarly, there are a large number of leased residencies approximately 230,000 dwellings of similar nature to the homes that were burnt out in the bush fires. Mainly weatherboard homes built prior to 1970’s. Asbestos sheeting is okay if left alone and not compromised by; drilling into it, breaking it, driving a nail through it or cutting and grinding it. Yet, when we inspect properties mainly in the western suburbs, there is an alarming abundance of homes which have the above defects, notes my good friend David Piva from Jims Property Inspections.
Why are the dangers around these dwellings not taken care of? Why are there no national incentives by way of “government funded grants” for landlords to be assisted with the remediation of all asbestos sheeting where tenants are living without knowing of the dangers they are surrounded by?
The picture below was taken at a rental in Sydney. The shed at the back left of the photo shows where the fibro (asbestos) sheeting has broken off leaving the material of the shed (the darker colour) exposed. This leaves a substantial danger to the tenants.
Asbestos is a silent-killer and the contamination may not be evident if a person is affected for upwards of 17 – 50 years on. There is a real danger and this need to be addressed now - not tomorrow.
There are children playing in asbestos contaminated backyards, people showering in asbestos contaminated bathrooms and people cooking in and around asbestos contaminated kitchens. Yes, you read correctly. Any home built prior to 1987 has asbestos in some form or another in the wet areas; including bathrooms, laundries, kitchens and toilets. Do I have your attention now?
You wouldn’t live under these conditions, so why are we exposing tenants that don’t know any better to the dangers we ourselves try and avoid?
What is asbestos and where is it found?
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To find out more go to www.asbestosawareness.com.au.
Edwin Almeida is managing partner and licensee-in-charge of Just Think Real Estate.