Geoff and Karen Wicks, from Insight Communications , who are running the 2015 National Asbestos Awareness Month campaign with “Betty – The ADRI House”

November 26, 2015

Asbestos kills – and at least one in every three Australian homes contain the dangerous fibres.

And it doesn’t matter if your house is made of bricks, weatherboard, fibro or clad, there’s still a very good chance that asbestos is lurking somewhere – in the carpet underlay, in the vinyl tiles, wall coverings, ceilings, gutters …

To help give would-be DIY-ers an idea of where asbestos could be hiding, “Betty” came to the Kingaroy Town Hall Forecourt on Thursday afternoon.

“Betty” is a mini-display house on wheels set up by the Asbestos Diseases Research Institute (ADRI).

She was accompanied by Geoff and Karen Wicks who have been taking the display around eastern Australia as part of Asbestos Awareness Month.

Their message? “Don’t play Renovation Roulette!”

Karen said children could become asbestos victims when their parents undertook home renovations.

“The younger you are, the easier it is to ingest the fibres into your lungs,” she said.  “And just one asbestos fibre can kill.

“We have met families that have lost children just through doing renovations.”

It is very important that if asbestos is found in a home that it is left undisturbed.

It must not be cut, drilled, dropped, sanded, sawed, scraped, scrubbed or waterblasted.  And it must not be dumped!

“If left undisturbed, asbestos materials in good, stable condition are unlikely to release dangerous  fibres and pose a health risk,” Geoff said.

However, there are legal requirements in regard to asbestos management, removal and disposal.

Geoff and Karen said home owners and anyone planning renovations should visit www.asbestosawareness.com.au to find out more information.

“If asbestos is disturbed during renovations or maintenance, your health and the health of your family could be at risk,” Geoff said.

Geoff and Karen Wicks presented Cr Ros Heit and recently appointed SBRC General Manager of Corporate Services Peter O’May with a thank you certificate for hosting “Betty – The ADRI House”

 

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