Australia has taken a firm stand in its implementation of a ban on asbestos in imported products and this has caused a great trouble for owners and buyers of classic cars.
The Australian Border Force which implements the ban that came into effect in 2003 is continuously seizing cars containing asbestos and hundreds of classic cars were seized even during the last year. Most vehicles thus caught range from Jaguars to Mustangs and have mainly originated in the US.
As per the asbestos factsheet of Border Force, Australia is among the few countries that have totally banned asbestos and asbestos-containing items.
Individuals that import asbestos-containing goods can incur more than AUD3000 per offence. But this is actually cheaper than other associated penalties.
If a vehicle is suspected by the Border Force to contain asbestos, its owner should pay for the checking of suspicious parts and their probable substitution before the vehicle clears the Customs.
Since the fees total up to more than AUD20,000 and timeframe to clear all the obstacles goes for months, the matter should be taken seriously. It’s advisable to contact Dazmac for cleaning and testing asbestos in old cars to avoid the loss of money and time.
Where is Asbestos Found?
Asbestos is found mainly in brake pads, gaskets and linings, together with clutch materials on classic vehicles. Some undercoating too can consist of this dangerous material.
Such asbestos-containing vehicle parts still occur in US-based cars because of a more laidback approach about the import as well as distribution of asbestos.
Majority of reproduction parts of classic vehicles don’t consist of asbestos. However, new old-stock parts or preservation cars can be a matter of concern if not handled correctly.
Asbestos in Japanese Cars
Even all Japanese auto-makers, barring Honda Motor Co., used components consisting of asbestos and manufactured 1.64 million cars, motorcycles, trucks and other types of vehicles from 1996 till today.
The automakers include Suzuki Motor Corp., Toyota Motor Corp., Yamaha Motor Co., Mitsubishi Fuso Truck & Bus Corp., Mitsubishi Motors Corp., Nissan Diesel Ltd., Nissan Motor Co. and more.
However, there is no risk of carcinogenic material being airborne and causing harm to humans since asbestos was sealed or kneaded into resin for using in packing, gaskets and resin materials in the vehicles including tractors, fire engines and buses.
Asbestos in Motorcycles
In motorcycles, asbestos occurs in gaskets, brake pads/shoes, internal combustion parts and hundreds of other assorted motorcycle parts.
Asbestos is also used often in a caulking sort of arrangement to seal the exhaust pipe and baffles to the silencer or as a covering for exhaust pipes. If you want to be careful about asbestos while importing a motorcycle, import motorcycle to Australia and hire Dazmac Logistics for help.
Risks with Asbestos
While asbestos is used in several industries, one of the industries where it is used heavily is the automobile industry.
Asbestos has a unique ability to insulate as well as prevent heat transfer. Therefore it is ideal for using in almost all automotive application centred on friction-based brakes and internal combustion engine.
A major risk in handling asbestos is that its fibres can go loose in air. Some kinds of asbestos are proved to be carcinogenic for lungs. Therefore people working on classic automobiles must follow guidelines by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration or protecting themselves properly from the long-term consequences of asbestos exposure.
While Australia has renewed its concern for public safety, American authorities still continue to take an easy stand to asbestos-containing parts to ensure affordability as well as correctness.
In such a scenario, it’s up to car owners to maintain a safe environment while enjoying their classics, whether they drive them or working under them.