High-Pressure Water Hoses and Asbestos: A Deadly Combination

This is an abridgement of an article posted by WorkSafe Queensland.

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Queensland’s Asbestos Awareness Week (25 November – 1 December 2024) shines a spotlight on the hidden dangers of asbestos, particularly the illegal use of high-pressure water hoses on asbestos cement roofs, fences, and walls. This unsafe practice can release deadly asbestos fibers into the air, posing serious health risks and leading to hefty fines and clean-up costs.

A Growing Concern

Over the past year, the Office of Work Health and Safety Prosecutor (OWHSP) has recorded ten asbestos-related prosecutions, with many linked to improper high-pressure cleaning methods. Despite asbestos being banned since the late 1980s, its presence in older buildings remains a critical safety issue.

Workplace Health and Safety Queensland (WHSQ) recently conducted 182 asbestos audits on businesses in older buildings, uncovering 23 instances of non-compliance and issuing 151 improvement notices. These inspections aim to ensure workplaces maintain proper asbestos registers and management plans, in line with the Work Health and Safety Act 2011.

Educating Homeowners and Tradespeople

Asbestos Awareness Week emphasises education to prevent accidental exposure. A free webinar was conducted in November, to help equip homeowners, renovators, and tradespeople with tools to identify and manage asbestos safely. Some of the topics covered were:

• Identifying asbestos in homes built before 1990.
• Safe removal practices.
• The dangers of high-pressure cleaning.
• Real-life cases of improper handling and resulting penalties.

A recording of this webinar is available on the Queensland Government Asbestos website.

Asbestos Awareness Week reminds us of the importance of vigilance and safe practices when dealing with asbestos.

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