Asbestos expert gives warning to builders

Queensland, Australia - It has been discovered that insurance companies are telling tradesmen to ignore safety regulations while working on repairs for homes in Mackay damaged by floods.

Workers have been instructed by insurance companies looking to cut costs to sand and repaint asbestos fibro walls instead of replacing them. Don Pitt, asbestos expert and general manager of Queensland Building Maintenance, is outraged after hearing of the news. He is strongly warning the tradesmen that following such instructions is illegal and can potentially have lethal consequences.

One of the tradesmen concerned over the practice anonymously tipped off news reporters of the incident.

Mr. Pitt told them they would be putting their own lives at risk as well as the lives of the homes' residents. He said breathing in asbestos fibers isn't like cutting yourself with a blade. With a blade you immediately see blood, but with asbestos you won't know the effects until decades later when it's too late and you'll be diagnosed with an incurable illness.

Also, Workplace Health and Safety Regulations state that sanding asbestos cement sheeting is an illegal act.

Mr. Pitt's company, a member of the Asbestos Industry Association, identifies if asbestos is present at a site and decides what actions are needed to deal with it safely. He also warned builders that even though insurance companies asked them to follow those instructions, they would be the ones held accountable in legal proceedings.