Loose-fill asbestos insulation is raw asbestos that has been crushed into a fine state and installed in ceiling spaces. During the 1960s and 1970s, pure loose-fill asbestos was sold as ceiling insulation for residential and commercial premises. A Canberra based company known as ‘Mr Fluffy’ installed insulation in around 1,000 homes in the ACT and is also understood to have installed insulation into homes in NSW.
Asbestos fibres that are breathed in pose health risks and the risk of developing an asbestos-related disease depends mainly on how many fibres have been breathed in and for how long.
The NSW Government has determined that demolition, comprehensive site remediation and disposal is the only way to remove the health risk of loose-fill asbestos insulation from an affected property.
The NSW Government is providing free ceiling insulation testing to owners of pre-1980s residential premises in 26 identified NSW local government areas.
