Last week staff from Turner Freeman Lawyers attended the third International Conference on Asbestos Awareness and Management at the Adelaide Convention Centre.
The conference, with Turner Freeman’s support, was put on by the Australian Government’s Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency and saw hundreds of people gather to hear experts in asbestos management, health, advocacy and governance discuss best practice in managing the dangers of asbestos in our community and abroad. On a more personal level, the audience heard from Turner Freeman’s past client, Serafina Salucci on her inspiring battle with mesothelioma.
Importantly, the conference afforded an opportunity for stakeholders to discuss the National Strategic Plan for Asbestos Management and Awareness in view of assisting the agency to deliver the goals and outcomes of the plan. The plan presents a comprehensive set of national goals and outcomes for asbestos awareness, handling and eradication.
Historically speaking, Australia has been one of the world’s leading users of material containing asbestos and therefore has one of the world’s highest incidences per capita of asbestos related disease, particularly for mesothelioma. Due to the long latency period between exposure to asbestos and diagnosis of mesothelioma, the number of cases continues to rise with estimates peaking between 2020 and 2025.
Asbestos remains a big problem in Australia
This means that exposure to asbestos remains a big problem for Australia and there is an ongoing need to educate the community about asbestos in order to reduce the risks of asbestos-related diseases within the community and is why conferences like this one are so important.
