ASCC publishes mesothelioma data

At the ninth meeting of the Australian Safety and Compensation Council (ASCC) in July, the council agreed to publish the study ‘Preparing an estimate of the national pattern of exposure to asbestos in cases of malignant mesothelioma’ on its website. This study is a detailed statistical report analysing data from the WA mesothelioma register and from the NSW Dust Diseases Board.

The chairman of the ASCC, Bill Scales AO, said: “The council also agreed to further work toward the future operation of the Australian Mesothelioma Register and will consider a business case canvassing options for its enhancement at its next meeting.”

The ASCC also agreed to publish the literature review on ‘Asbestos exposure, management and control: national and international experiences’. The purpose of this review is to identify information on current work practices and exposures which may be occurring in Australian and overseas workplaces. Policies and practices regarding the management of asbestos in Australia and in comparable countries were also examined. The review will be available on the ASCC website shortly.

Given the paucity of information on work practices in workplaces with in situ asbestos, the ASCC agreed to conduct further research in Australian workplaces on current levels of compliance to regulations, barriers to compliance and any resulting exposure to asbestos.

The ASCC considered a benchmark survey on the nature and extent of exposures to a range of disease-causing hazards and workplace controls to reduce these exposures.