The Asbestos Industry Association has revealed that Australians are at risk of exposure to asbestos from building products imported from China, after it was found in cement compound board. One of the concerns is that the samples, which showed the presence of asbestos and chrysotile, had also been tested in Asia but were stamped and certified as asbestos-free. Whilst this discovery is the latest in a number of imported building products from China testing prositive for asbestos when received in Australia, officials are not preventing the potentially deadly products from entering the country, says the Asbestos Industry Association's President, Michael Shepherd, adding that "customs are checking less than 5% of all products coming into Australia" and that there is "no guarantee new Australian buildings are risk-free". The Asbestos Related Disease Support Society Queensland's Amanda Richards, says this "will bring through another wave of asbestos-related diseases". This news comes as it was revealed October 23, 2015 that 100 people working on a Water Corporation maintenance project in Western Australia's Wheatbelt have been exposed to asbestos from the tank's floor and panels.
The Asbestos Industry Association has revealed that Australians are at risk of exposure to asbestos from building products imported from China, after it was found in cement compound board. One of the concerns is that the samples, which showed the presence of asbestos and chrysotile, had also been tested in Asia but were stamped and certified as asbestos-free. Whilst this discovery is the latest in a number of imported building products from China testing prositive for asbestos when received in Australia, officials are not preventing the potentially deadly products from entering the country, says the Asbestos Industry Association's President, Michael Shepherd, adding that "customs are checking less than 5% of all products coming into Australia" and that there is "no guarantee new Australian buildings are risk-free". The Asbestos Related Disease Support Society Queensland's Amanda Richards, says this "will bring through another wave of asbestos-related diseases". This news comes as it was revealed yesterday that 100 people working on a Water Corporation maintenance project in Western Australia's Wheatbelt have been exposed to asbestos from the tank's floor and panels.