Online
Wednesday, 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM27/05/2026
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AIOH
Why is Determining the Hazard of Fibrous Minerals in Mining so Complex: fibrous minerals, asbestiform fibres, cleavage fragments and elongated mineral particples (EMPs)
All exisitng asbestos regulations relate to asbestos that is found in products made from defined asbestos minerals. The hazard and subsequest risk from these asbestos fibres is reasonably well establisged with only crocidolite, amosite (grunerite) and chrysotile ever being used in Australia. In mining there are hundreds of fibrous minerals, including Naturally Occurring Asbestos (NOA), asbestiform fibres and cleavage fragmants of massive/prismatic amphiboles, where the hazard and subsequent risk is not well established and still strongly debated.
The relatively new Australian Standard AS5370:2024, Sampling and qualitative identification of asbestos in bulk materials (ISO 22262-1:2012, MOD), partially addresses the hazard issue, but not fully.
Safe Work Australia has established an Asbestos Framework Review with submissions closing April 2026 and it is hoped this review will address the issue of abestosiform minerals and their related respirable non-asbestiform cleavage fragments. This webinar will provide the evidence to date of the hazard of these other respirable biopersistent fibres.
The elephant in the room is whether it should be separate regulations under the WHS regulations in regard to respirable biopersistent fibres in mining?
Presenter
Dr Laurie Glossop B.Sc PhD COH FAIOH Laurie has been assessing the risk from asbestos since the start of his 45-year career as an occupational hygienist, but in the last 25 years he has extensively involved in mining where there are always respirable biopersistent fibres that can be asbestos, asbestiform and cleavage fragments. He has given many AIOH presentations on this subject over this period of time and written papers for conferences and journals. His other interest is respirable crystalline silica where he has also given presentations and written papers, but for the whole of his occupationa; hygiene career he has assessed just about every occupational health hazard. Laurie is trying to retire but has been unsuccessful so far!
Chair
Dr. David Lowry is a Certified Occupational Hygienist and Adjunct Associate Professor at Edith Cowan University’s School of Medical and Health Sciences, specialising in the management of occupational health hazards in large-scale mining operations.
Attendees will receive 0.2 CM Points for attending this event
