Asbestos Awareness Research Baseline Awareness Survey Report

Asbestos Awareness Research – baseline awareness survey report

ExecutiveSummary

1.1. Introduction

ColmarBruntonwascommissionedbythe AsbestosSafetyandEradicationAgency(ASEA)to conductquantitativeresearchtoprovideabenchmarkofawareness,attitudesandbehaviours towardsasbestosacrossitskeyprimaryandsecondaryaudiences.Thisinformationwassoughtto informfuturecommunicationstrategydevelopmentandtofacilitateinformeddiscussionamongall stakeholdergroups.

Thefollowingtablesummarisestheaudiencegroups,thesurveymethodologyandthenumberof respondentsforeachgroup:

Targetgroup / Methodology / Totalrespondents
Generalpublic / Onlinesurvey / N=1,015
Tradespeople / CATI(ComputerAssisted TelephoneInterview) / N=401
DIYhomerenovators / Onlinesurvey / N=824
Realestateagentsand landlords / Onlinesurvey / N=122

Fieldworkwasconductedbetween22Mayand30May2014.Thisreportpresentsthefindingsofthis research.

1.2. KeyFindings

Asbestos awarenessandinformationneeds

Whileknowledgelevelsarereasonableacrosskeyaudiences,thereis stillsignificantdemand foradditionalinformationaboutasbestosandits relateddangers.

Theresearchfindingssuggestmostpeopleunderstandtheimportanceof beinginformedabout asbestosanditspotentialdangers.Beingknowledgeableaboutasbestosanditsdangerswasmost likelytobefoundimportantorveryimportantbytradespeople(94%)andtoslightlylesserextents- howeverstillathighlevels- byDIYhomerenovators(87%),realestateagentsand landlords(79%) andthegeneralpublic(76%).

However,theactualself-reportedlevelofbeinginformedaboutasbestosanditsdangerswas generallylower.Tradespeopleweremostlikelytofeelinformedaboutasbestosanditsrelated dangers(82%felt informedorveryinformed).Realestateagentsand landlords(63%),DIYhome renovators(61%)andthe generalpublic(53%)werecomparativelylessinformed,notdoubtreflecting thefacttheyhavea somewhatlower immediateneedforsuchinformation.

Of someconcernwasthecloseto20%oftradespeoplewhodescribedtheirownknowledgeofthe dangersofasbestosatonlymoderateorbelow.Fora groupthatcouldbeexpectedtoroutinelybe in environmentswhereasbestoscouldbean issue,a lowerlevelofknowledgeforaround1 in5 could resultinriskierbehavioursforthemselvesandthosealsoonsite.

Similarly,aroundonethirdofDIYhomerenovatorsandand40%of realestateagentsandlandlords reportedmoderateknowledgeorbelow,suggestingscopeforimprovementinknowledgeamong thesegroupsalso.

Confidenceinownabilitytoidentifyriskymaterialsorsituationsislow

Inline withthisfinding,thegenerallevelofconfidenceinself-assessedabilityto identifyasbestos containingmaterialswasverylow.Tradespeopleweremostconfident,butamongthisgrouponly64%reportedbeingconfidentintheirabilitytoidentifymaterialslikelytocontainasbestos.Confidencewasespeciallylowamongthegeneralpublic(17%),andquitelowamongDIYhomerenovators(29%)andrealestateagentsandlandlords(39%).

Similarly,self-reportedconfidenceinabilitytoidentifysituationswhererisk ofexposuretoasbestos couldbean issue wasalsorelativelylow.Whilesome72%oftradespeoplewereconfidentintheir abilitytoidentifysuchsituations,some8%indicatedtheylackedsuchconfidence.Amongthegeneral public(21%),DIYhomerenovators(35%)andrealestateagentsandlandlords(40%)notablysmaller proportionswereconfidentabouttheirabilitytoidentifythesepotentiallydangeroussituations.

Asbestosisseenasanimportantissue

Agreementwashighthatthosedoingrenovationsshouldbe verymindfulofasbestos,with94% (tradespeople)to 89%(realestateagentsandlandlords)agreeing withthis.Therewasgeneral consensusthata personshouldpayforspecialistadvicewhenbeingunsureaboutwhethermaterials containasbestos(with87%ofthegeneralpublic,88%ofDIYhomerenovatorsand84%ofrealestateagentsandlandlordsagreeingwiththis).Therewasloweragreementamongtradespeople (73%),whichwastobeexpectedwitharelativelylargeproportionoftradespeoplehavingreceived formaltraininginthisarea.

Exposuretoasbestoswasgenerallyseenassomethingthatcanbe verydangerous.Aroundfourin fiveof allgroupsagreedwiththisstatement.Aroundtwothirds(64%generalpublic,72% tradespeople,71%DIYhomerenovatorsand68%realestateagentsandlandlords)agreedthat asbestosisverycommoninAustralianbuildings.Similarlevelsagreedthatasbestosonlyposes dangerifdisturbed,withmostagreeingoragreeingstrongly,withtradespeopleagainagreeing strongestwiththisstatement(77%).

Whilemostagreetoacertainextentthatasbestosis a majorconcern,aroundoneinthreeoverallstill disagreeit is a majorconcerntothem.Fortradespeoplethis wasmostlikelytobeaconcern,forthe generalpublicleastlikely.

Internetseenasthemostimportantinformationsource

Theinternetwouldbe themainsourceof informationwhenlookingforasbestosanditsdangers,with a Googlesearchdominatingtoppingthelistof informationsourcesforalltargetgroups.Tradespeople weremorelikelytoalsoregularlymentionothersources,suchasasbestosspecialistsorWorkplace SafetyAuthorities.

ASEAAwarenesslow

ASEAknewlowlevelsofawarenessamongitstargetgroups,howeverconsideringtheorganisation hasonlyexistedsince2013,thelevelsofawarenessachievedamongitstargetaudiencescouldbe consideredas reasonable.Theawarenesswashighestamongrealestateagentsandlandlords (21%)andtradespeople(14%),whileitwasloweramongDIYhomerenovators(10%)andthe generalpublic(10%).

TheASEAwebsite,Asbestossafety.gov.auwasmentioned–unprompted-by1%of thegeneral publicandofrealestateagentsandlandlordsasasourceof informationaboutasbestos.

Thoseawareof ASEAwerelikelytohavevisiteditswebsite,especiallyamongtradespeople(86%) andrealestateagentsandlandlords(77%).The websitewasreceivedpositively,andratedasuseful bymostwhohadaccessedit.

Informationthatassistswithidentifyingasbestosandmanagementof riskswasneededmost

Between10%and20%thoughttheyneededmoreinformationonasbestosanditsrelatedsafety dangers(10%forthegeneralpublic,13%DIYhomerenovators,18%tradespeopleand20%real estateagentsandlandlords).Thiscouldbe asignthat manyfeeltheydonotcurrentlyneed information,butdonotfeelinformedenoughonhowtomanageapossiblefuturesituationinwhich theyarepotentiallyatrisk of beingexposedtoasbestos.

Thoseidentifyinga needforfurtherinformationwereaskedwhatspecificallytheyneed.Practical informationaboutidentifyingasbestosandasbestoscontainingmaterialswasneededbyfourin tenof generalpublicandtradespeople,while25%neededgeneralinformationandguidelines.DIYhome renovatorsalsoidentifieda needtoget informationaboutthedisposalofasbestos(18%)andrisk assessment(16%).Realestateagentsandlandlordswerealsolikelytowantinformationabout symptomsof healthrisk (20%).

Tradespeople

Formaltrainingpresentbutnotwidespread

Formalasbestosawarenessandsafetytrainingwasnot widespreadamongtradespeople,with40% havingundertakenthis.Thetrainingwasundertakenmostlythroughan externaltrainingorganisation(47%),an industrypeakbody(16%),orone’semployer(11%). Largerorganisationsweremorelikely tohaveundertakentrainingthroughexternaltrainingorganisations.Thetrainingwasreceivedwell withthemajority(89%)findingituseful.

Aboutoneinthreetradespeoplethoughtthatfuturetrainingcouldbeusefultothem.Similartothe undertakentraining,itwasthoughtthatthefuturetrainingshouldbeprovidedbyanexternaltraining organisation(32%)orapeakbody(17%).

Asbestosisseenasanimportantissue,howeverthereis scopeamongemployersandstaff forknowledgetobeimproved

Whiletradespeoplewereconvincedthatasbestosis a seriousdangerandthattakingrisksbystaffis discouragedasmuchaspossible,thesurveyresultsalsoindicatethattherestillisaneedforthem to befurthereducatedaboutidentifyingasbestosandtherisksrelatedtoasbestosremovaland disposal.

Highestlevelsofagreementwereobservedwithstatementssuchas“Allstaffinthisbusinessare discouragedfrom takinganyrisksinrelationtoasbestosona jobsite”(94%totalagreement),“Our business/organisationtakesasbestosanditsdangersveryseriously”(92%)and“I amhappytoraise thecostsofasbestosremovalwithclientsifnecessary”(91%).Lowerlevelsofagreementwere observedforthestatements“I amconcernedaboutpotentiallybeingexposedtoasbestos”(57%)and “I havehadsufficienttrainingabouthowtoidentifyandmanageasbestosonthejobsite”(55%).

Whilemostemployersfeeltheyhavetheneededunderstandingof theirlegalobligationstowards keepingstaffsafe,24%feeltheirknowledgeaboutthis couldbe improved.Similarly,while70%rated theirstaff’sknowledgeasgood,theremaining30%ratedit asonlymoderateorlower.

Arangeofinformationsourceswerementionedbytradespeople,withemailbeingmentionedmost often(28%),anda training,courseorseminaralsooften(15%).

DIYhomerenovators

DIYhomerenovatorsregularlyundertakesignificantwork

DIYhomerenovatorsregularlyundertakesignificantrenovationsor demolitions,witha quarter recentlyhavingrenovateda bathroomorkitchen,18%havingknockeddownwallsandoneinten havingundertakendemolitionwork.Closetothoseproportionswereplanningfuturework,with18% planninga bathroomrenovation,downto6%planningademolition.

MostDIYhomerenovators(58%)prefertousuallyundertakealltheworkthemselves,whilea quarter involvesprofessionalsas well.Theremaining18%werenot involvedinrecentwork.

DIYworkundertakenin a potentiallydangerousmanner

Abouthalfoftherecentworkundertakendidnot involveanyrisk assessmentofasbestosmaterials beingpresent.Thosewhohadtheworkundertakencompletelybyprofessionalsweresignificantly morelikelythantheothergroupstobeunsureabouta risk assessmentbeingundertaken(21% versus6%andnil).Assumingthatprofessionalswouldbe likelytoundertakerisksassessments,it indicatesthatthereis anopportunityfortradespeopletocommunicatemorewiththeirclientsabout thisassessment.

Inoneinfivecasesofrecentwork,asbestosneededtoberemoved.For41%this wasdonebya professional;whereasa worrying36%reportedundertakingtheremovalofasbestosthemselves.

DIYhomerenovatorsagreeasbestosisdangerous,butlackknowledgeaboutidentifying asbestosandprotectingthemselvesagainstitsrisks

AbatteryofstatementspresentedtoDIYhomerenovatorssuggestthatwhilethedangersofasbestos ingeneralarenoted,thereis agapbetweentheseattitudesandtheknowledgeneededtomake informeddecisions.

Highlevelsofagreementwereobservedwiththestatement“Asbestosremovalmustbeundertaken bylicensedspecialistsin thisfield”(90%totalagreement),and“Itakeasbestosanditsdangersvery seriously”(92%).Lowerlevelsofagreementwereobservedwithknowledgerelatedstatements, namely“Iknowhowtoprotectmyselffrom exposuretoasbestos”(50%totalagreement),“I have enoughinformationaboutasbestostomakeinformeddecisionswhendoinganyrenovationwork” (50%totalagreement)and“I havesufficientknowledgeabouthowtoidentifyandmanageasbestos onthejobsite”(39%totalagreement).

InternetandtelevisionmosteffectivemediaforDIYhomerenovators

TheASEAwebsite,DIYinternetsites,TVadvertisingandDIYshowsonTVwerementionedbyat leasthalfofDIYhomerenovatorsasthebestcommunicationchannelsfortheAustralianGovernment toreachthem.

Real estateagentsand privatelandlords

Asbestosnotalwaystopofmind,butstillhighlyrelevantissue forthosein property management

Aquarterofrealestateagentsandprivatelandlordshadrecentlyreceivedqueriesaboutasbestos.Of these,61%thoughtthemselveswellplacedtoanswerthequestions.Whiletheissueofasbestosis apparentlynotofconstantrelevancetorealestateagentsandprivatelandlords,85%agreedwere convinceditis importanttheyhavea goodunderstandingof it.

Aminorityhavereceivedtraining,andthereisstronginterest inadditionaltraining

Onlyoneinfivehadreceivedformaltrainingaboutasbestosandhowtomanageit,mostlythrough theircompany(andasmallerproportionthroughapeakbody).Thetrainingwasseenasusefulbythe majorityofattendees.

Some50%ofparticipantsindicatedinterestinparticipatinginformaltrainingonasbestosmatters. Peakbodieswerethoughttobemostsuitedtodelivertrainingtorealestateagentsandprivate landlords,with43%indicatingthisastheirpreference.

Similarto othergroups,realestateagentsandprivatelandlordsseemtobeawareoftheissueof asbestosbutlackpracticalknowledgeofhowtodealwiththeissue.Theyhave mostneedfor informationaboutidentificationofasbestosandtherisksinvolved,butalsoabouttheirlegal obligationsandtherisksofpotentialexposureoftenants.

Internetandtelevisionthoughttobemostefficientinformationsources

RealestateagentsandlandlordspreferredtoreceiveinformationthroughtheASEAwebsite(44%), televisionadvertising(31%)oronlinenewscoverage(31%).