reports of incidents in schools or hospitals numbers of employer or union initiated registrations. The NAER into the future Media focus on asbestos issues appears to impact reporting patterns on the NAER. Issues during the 2016–17 financial year have included loose-fill asbestos in residences in both the ACT and NSW as well as reports which appear in the media from time to time about the existence of asbestos-containing materials in schools and hospitals. This indicates a growing concern amongst community members about the risks they may be incurring in settings other than their workplaces. This is likely to become more apparent with the increasing in DIY activities and major home renovations. The agency has received a number of enquiries from concerned members of the public about neighbourhood renovation activities. This also reflects growing awareness amongst members of the public that there are risks in the residential setting of asbestos fibres becoming airborne and posing a risk to the community. With average monthly registrations of 148 per in the 2016–2017 financial year, some trends are now beginning to emerge. Despite variations from month to month and year to year, it is clear that the majority of male registrations are work related, while the majority of female registrations are not directly related to their work. There seems to be a growing concern among employers to inform employees of the existence of the NAER and to encourage them to register if they believe they have been exposed. It is hoped that the NAER will continue to be an avenue by which community members can express their concerns about asbestos exposure and to inform the agency of how and where they believe their exposure occurred. Analysis of the data collected in the NAER will continue to build on the statistical base which is being developed and support the agency to develop an evidence base which is vital for the implementation of the National Strategic Plan. The NAER is an important component of the work of the agency and continues to complement the other sources of information collected by the agency through other research which will help to address the issue of asbestos and its risks to the Australian community into the future. Section 4: Additional work or ministerial directions The agency was not required to do additional work and did not receive any ministerial directions during the 2016–17 year.
reports of incidents in schools or hospitals numbers of employer or union initiated registrations. The NAER into the future Media focus on asbestos issues appears to impact reporting patterns on the NAER. Issues during the 2016–17 financial year have included loose-fill asbestos in residences in both the ACT and NSW as well as reports which appear in the media from time to time about the existence of asbestos-containing materials in schools and hospitals. This indicates a growing concern amongst community members about the risks they may be incurring in settings other than their workplaces. This is likely to become more apparent with the increasing in DIY activities and major home renovations. The agency has received a number of enquiries from concerned members of the public about neighbourhood renovation activities. This also reflects growing awareness amongst members of the public that there are risks in the residential setting of asbestos fibres becoming airborne and posing a risk to the community. With average monthly registrations of 148 per in the 2016–2017 financial year, some trends are now beginning to emerge. Despite variations from month to month and year to year, it is clear that the majority of male registrations are work related, while the majority of female registrations are not directly related to their work. There seems to be a growing concern among employers to inform employees of the existence of the NAER and to encourage them to register if they believe they have been exposed. It is hoped that the NAER will continue to be an avenue by which community members can express their concerns about asbestos exposure and to inform the agency of how and where they believe their exposure occurred. Analysis of the data collected in the NAER will continue to build on the statistical base which is being developed and support the agency to develop an evidence base which is vital for the implementation of the National Strategic Plan. The NAER is an important component of the work of the agency and continues to complement the other sources of information collected by the agency through other research which will help to address the issue of asbestos and its risks to the Australian community into the future. Section 4: Additional work or ministerial directions The agency was not required to do additional work and did not receive any ministerial directions during the 2016–17 year.
ASEA_annual_report_2016-17_final.docx