Damaged Asbestos in Wagga Wagga: What to Do Right Now

• Stop all work in the area, including any power tools, pressure cleaners or cleaning.
• Leave the area and keep everyone out, including children, pets, visitors and other trades.
• If it’s indoors, turn off air conditioning, heating, ceiling fans and evaporative coolers, and close internal doors to the affected room if you can do so without passing through it.
• Don’t clean up. Don’t sweep, vacuum with a household vacuum, hose down, blow or brush the area. These spread fibres rather than remove them.
• Don’t walk through debris or drive over it, and avoid tracking dust into other parts of the property.
• Don’t take close-up photos if it means entering the area. Photos from a safe distance are enough.
• Write down what happened, including what work was being done, when it happened, which material was affected, and who was nearby.

If you may have dust on your clothes or shoes, avoid shaking them out or brushing them off. Remove them carefully, place them in a sealed plastic bag, and shower and wash your hair. Keep the bag aside and ask your asbestos professional how to deal with it.

It’s natural to worry about your health after an exposure. Asbestos-related diseases are generally linked to repeated or prolonged exposure, and the risk from a single brief incident is considered low. Even so, it’s worth keeping a record of what happened and mentioning it to your GP. If the exposure happened at work, report it to your employer so it can be recorded.

• For an assessment and safe clean-up, call us on 0480 850 340. Our licensed contractor can assess the damage, make the area safe, remove contaminated material and debris, and arrange a clearance inspection before the area is used again.
• If it happened at a workplace, including when a tradesperson is working at your home, the business responsible for the work has safety obligations. An uncontrolled release of asbestos may need to be reported to SafeWork NSW on 13 10 50.
• If you’re renting, tell your landlord or property manager in writing as soon as possible. Damage that makes a property unsafe may be treated as an urgent repair under NSW tenancy laws. NSW Fair Trading can explain your rights.
• If a neighbour’s work has disturbed asbestos and is affecting your property, such as pressure-cleaning an asbestos roof or breaking a fence, you can contact Wagga Wagga City Council. You can also report unsafe asbestos handling or illegal dumping to the NSW EPA Environment Line on 131 555.
• If you’re insured, contact your insurer early. Clear notes and distance photos help with your claim.

To help us respond quickly, let us know what happened and when, the property type, where the material is, whether it’s indoors or outdoors, how large the affected area is, who may have been nearby, and whether anyone has tried to clean it up.

The right response depends on the type of material, how badly it’s damaged, and where the dust or fragments have gone. Bonded asbestos that has been broken may become friable, which needs a higher level of care and a Class A licensed removalist. Our contractor will explain the licence class needed, how the area will be isolated and cleaned using specialist equipment, and how waste will be packaged and legally disposed of.

Items like carpets, rugs, curtains and soft furnishings exposed to asbestos dust can be difficult to clean and may need to be disposed of. Your contractor can advise what can be saved.

Once the clean-up is finished, the area should be inspected and cleared before anyone goes back in. For friable asbestos, this includes air monitoring by a licensed asbestos assessor. Keep the clearance certificate for your records and insurance.

Important information: this page provides general safety information only. It does not replace site-specific advice from a licensed asbestos professional, workplace manager, regulator or emergency service.