CONCERN THAT APPRENTICES ARE NOT TAUGHT ASBESTOS SAFETY

It is critical that apprentices working in industries where asbestos exposure is an issue are properly trained in asbestos awareness and handling.

 

A survey by Curtin University reports that apprentices are not being taught how to identify asbestos, and that 75 per cent of tradies surveyed have difficulty in doing so.

 

The survey also found that only 17 per cent of electricians had received training in handling and identifying asbestos. Electricians and plumbers are considered to be most at risk from exposure.

 

These survey numbers are deeply troubling. Currently, only the ACT has compulsory asbestos training for building trades workers.

 

Asbestos exposure continues to cause disease and death, with a new generation of workers at risk.

 

Labor recognises the impact of asbestos on the health of those who are exposed to it, and the legacy that it will leave.  That’s why Labor, under then Minister for Workplace Relations, Bill Shorten, established the Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency to ensure a coordinated national approach to asbestos eradication.

 

Labor will protect the community from exposure to asbestos-related disease, in cooperation with the States and Territories, by improving asbestos awareness and management and removal of asbestos from the built environment.  

 

Labor will pursue concerns about asbestos training for apprentices to ensure the safety of trades workers and the public and calls on the Turnbull government to respond to the concerns raised in the Curtin University survey.