Its deadly fibres are potentially lethal and can lay dormant in your lungs for decades before serious health problems suddenly begin.

Being the historic city it is, Bathurst has myriads of older-style properties riddled with all forms of asbestos which, when disturbed, can quickly turn a project into a death trap.

November is National Asbestos Awareness Month and authorities have launched a campaign under the banner of “Are you Playing Renovation Roulette?”.

It’s an initiative that local asbestos removal expert Robbie Lee believes will save lives.

“Houses all across Bathurst contain asbestos,” he said.

“The most common form is asbestos cement sheeting and linings to wet areas, eaves and exterior cladding, but it could be anywhere. Asbestos fibres can be present in many varied building materials.

“Once it’s disturbed it becomes really, really dangerous. It’s a silent killer.

“Statistics show that one in three homes in Australia contain asbestos and nearly every house built or renovated before 1987 contains at least one element of asbestos containing material.

“I decided to specialise in asbestos removal because it is a unique industry that I knew would benefit from my attention to detail.”

Mr Lee said that, unfortunately, there is an old-school mentality that you can save a buck by tackling a DIY renovation project such as a kitchen or bathroom.

“It’s just not worth the risk. A normal household vacuum isn’t up to the task, asbestos removal is a technical job which requires specialised equipment. A lot of people don’t realise what they are dealing with,” he said. 

“It’s a simple message. Before you renovate or maintain your home, find out where asbest-os could be and how to deal with it safely.

“Asbestos can be found in kitchens, bathrooms, laundries and hidden beneath existing surfaces, under floor coverings such as carpets, behind wall and floor tiles, in cement floors, linoleum and vinyl tiles, internal and external walls, garages, ceilings, eaves, around hot water pipes, fences, extensions to homes, outdoor toilets and backyard sheds. Really, it could be anywhere.

“It’s vitally important that if you do find asbestos in or around your home, don’t put you or your family at risk.

“Don’t cut it, drill it, drop it, sand it, saw it, scrape it, scrub it, dismantle it, tip it, waterblast it, demolish it – and whatever you do, don’t dump it.”