National Asbestos Awareness Month (1-30 November) is Australia’s leading multi award-winning asbestos awareness and community education campaign in the prevention of asbestos-related diseases.
The campaign and the website, asbestosawareness.com.au are nationally and internationally recognised leaders in asbestos risk education and prevention, delivering authoritative, evidence-based public information designed to reduce unnecessary exposure to asbestos fibres to save lives.
It is Australia’s only multi-award winning annual asbestos education campaign dedicated to asbestos-related disease prevention which drives traffic to asbestosawareness.com.au, Australia’s most comprehensive source of asbestos information.
With asbestos-related diseases continuing to increase among Australians as a direct result of exposure to asbestos fibres during home renovations or in the workplace; the importance of increasing awareness and educating Australians on how to manage asbestos safely in accordance with regulations cannot be overstated.
Key Campaign Achievements
- Since 2012, the campaign has secured 14,513+ media clips delivering 240 million opportunities for our lifesaving message to be seen or heard
- 13 Peer Reviewed Awards: 2 international, 5 national (2 in 2022), 7 state awards
- Engaged 100% of Australian council participation in awareness activities
- The campaign has been acknowledged 18 times in State and Federal parliaments across Australia.
- Academic Recognition: 2 top-tier academic Journals on Public Health including by Professor Thomas Douglas from the University of Oxford and in the International Journal of Environment Research and Public Health.
- Due to the effectiveness of our Asbestos Awareness Campaigns, asbestosawareness.com.au has:
- Received over 4 million pageviews.
- Had over 3 million sessions.
- Welcomed over 1M unique users.
- Averaged 11,000 users per month in 2021; a 32% increase on 2020. November averages a 37% increase on average months.
- Averaged 23,231 pageviews per month in 2021; 26% increase on 2020. November’s have a 76% increase on average months.
- Resources
- Over 1500 resources are available to the public to download.
- 267 are flyers, factsheets, posters and templates with the remaining being images, graphics, presentations and videos.
- These resources have been accessed over 569,000 times
- Videos have been viewed over 950,000 times with over 3.5 million impressions.
- Over 1500 resources are available to the public to download.
- National Archives of Australia
- So effective was the website that in 2015 it was formally selected by the National Library of Australia for inclusion in the national web archive as a significant online public health resource supporting asbestos exposure prevention. The site was subsequently re-selected for archival capture again in 2017, recognising its ongoing national significance and value to public health.
- Recognition of the innovative campaign led to invitations to present our campaign at 5 European forums in 2014 including UK, Spain, Germany and France.
Building on the Campaign’s Success
By extending Asbestos Awareness Week to become National Asbestos Awareness Month we increased opportunities to advance community awareness and education in the prevention of asbestos-related diseases.
Since 2013, we’ve led the ongoing development of a substantial suite of practical, user-friendly asbestos education resources. The campaign scope has progressively expanded beyond homeowners to include trades, domestic and commercial property owners and managers, and communities in regional areas including where Naturally Occurring Asbestos (NOA) is present.
The extension of Asbestos Awareness Week to National Asbestos Awareness Month significantly broadened community reach and engagement. Through sustained resource development and targeted program expansion over more than 15 years, the campaign has strengthened national awareness and education outcomes in the prevention of asbestos-related diseases.
National Asbestos Awareness Month and asbestosawareness.com.au garners international recognition.
The National Asbestos Awareness Month campaign and asbestosawareness.com.au are internationally acclaimed by academics, researchers, asbestos support groups and industry leaders for continuing to successfully generate wide-spread community awareness of asbestos risks while providing accessible free resources for homeowners, renovators, tradespersons and commercial, domestic and rural property owners and managers.
Asbestos Awareness Week & Month Campaign History
In 2011, we launched Asbestos Awareness Week in NSW with the first asbestosawareness.com.au website.
The week-long campaign held in the last week of November to coincide with Asbestos Awareness Day, was aimed at increasing awareness of the dangers of asbestos among homeowners and renovators to drive traffic to asbestosawareness.com.au where homeowners could access vital information on how to manage asbestos safely.
In 2012, Asbestos Awareness Week was rolled out as Australia’s first integrated national campaign.
The campaign aimed at engaging homeowners and renovators had been hugely successful in increasing the number of Australian’s accessing information on the website. However, research determined that although our week-long campaign continued to gain traction in engaging communities nationally; by extending the campaign to become Asbestos Awareness Month, we would engage a greater number of people to prevent asbestos exposure.
In 2013, we launched Australia’s first National Asbestos Awareness Month campaign.
Australia’s first National Asbestos Awareness Month achieved wide-spread awareness of the dangers of asbestos and provided more practical resources to help homeowners and renovators manage asbestos safely.
In 2014, our campaign received global recognition.
Two international industry awards, presented in Madrid and Amsterdam, highlighted our leadership in asbestos awareness and public health education on the global stage.
This global recognition created opportunities to engage directly with leading asbestos advocacy organisations across Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and France, as well as representatives of the UK Government. These engagements enabled the exchange of knowledge, strengthened international collaboration and reinforced the campaign’s role as a benchmark for effective asbestos education and prevention initiatives.
In 2015 we launched the worlds first Asbestos Products Database.
Developed in consultation with key stakeholders in 2014, including government and industry associations, the Asbestos Products database was launched in 2015 as an innovative, publicly accessible resource to help Australians identify materials that may contain asbestos.
Designed to support homeowners, renovators and trades, it provides practical, evidence-based information on common products and where they may be found, enabling safer decision-making and reducing the risk of accidental exposure.
This world-first initiative marked a significant advancement in asbestos education, transforming complex information into a clear, accessible tool for everyday Australians.
In 2016, we launched Trades Resources & The Healthy House Checklist.
These practical, easy-to-use tools were developed for both tradespeople and homeowners, these resources provide clear guidance to help identify potential risks, manage exposure and promote safer renovation, maintenance and workplace practices.
In 2017, we launched the world’s first Naturally Occurring Asbestos and Commercial Property Guidelines & Resources.
These pioneering resources were developed to address critical gaps in asbestos awareness, providing targeted guidance for regional communities where naturally occurring asbestos (NOA) is present, as well as for commercial property owners and managers. Designed to support informed decision-making and risk management, they deliver practical, evidence-based information to help prevent exposure and improve safety across diverse environments.
2018 Campaign funding ceased.
Since 2018, the annual campaign has operated without dedicated funding. In 2020, Advocacy Australia was established and a renewed Asbestos Education Committee formed to continue this critical works.
2021 abestosawareness.com.au dedicated to Asbestos Education Campaigners
To mark 10 years of service to the community, in 2021, the asbestosawareness.com.au website was dedicated to honour the work of two extraordinary women; the late Mrs Carol Klintfält OAM and the late Mrs Serafina Salucci OAM in recognition of their selfless acts of courage in advancing awareness of the dangers of asbestos to help save lives.
2022 Tradie Tookbox Talks
In 2022, no dedicated funding was available for the campaign. Despite this, essential awareness and education activities continued, supported by limited resources and a strong commitment to public safety. During this time, a suite of 10 tradie Toolbox Talks was also developed, providing practical, easy-to-deliver resources to support asbestos awareness and safer work practices on worksites.
In 2023, we launched Asbestos for Young Tradies.
Developed in partnership with SafeWork NSW, and supported by funding from the NSW Government, this targeted
initiative was created to address the heightened risk of asbestos exposure among young and emerging workers.
Designed specifically for young workers, apprentices, trade teachers, employers committed to protecting their workforce, and families wanting to safeguard their loved ones, the resource provides practical, easy-to-understand guidance to help identify risks, adopt safer work practices and prevent exposure. This invaluable asbestos education resource is available as a free download, ensuring broad and accessible reach across the community. View Asbestos for Young Tradies
In 2024, we launched Australia’s first video series on Asbestos Identification, Testing and Removal.
Developed to provide clear, visual guidance, this series supports homeowners, renovators and tradespeople to better understand how asbestos is identified, safely tested and professionally removed. Featuring industry experts and real-world scenarios, the videos translate complex processes into practical, easy-to-follow information, helping Australians make informed decisions and reduce the risk of exposure. View series.
To participate in National Asbestos Awareness Month, register here to download free campaign resources.
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