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  • Home > Blog > Asbestos > Australia’s Asbestos Awareness Week Aims to Raise Awareness of Mesothelioma
Posted on Wednesday, Nov 25, 2009

Australia’s Asbestos Awareness Week Aims to Raise Awareness of Mesothelioma

The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) is hoping National Asbestos Awareness Week, November 23 to November 27, will help raise the public’s awareness of the dangers of asbestos.

Various informational sessions will be held throughout the week including topics on the James Hardie company and asbestos law, ending with a ceremony on Friday to remember those whose lives were needlessly lost to asbestos-related diseases.

During the week workers will be able to receive health screenings in Sydney or on the mobile Lung Bus. The Lung Bus checkup includes an X-ray, lung function test and examination by a doctor. Australia’s occupational health and safety regulations require health checks for employees that work with hazardous substances including asbestos or crystalline silica.

Inhalation of asbestos fibers can cause mesothelioma, a rare and aggressive lung cancer that has no known cure. According to the ACTU, Australia has the highest per capita incidence of mesothelioma.