What is the National Asbestos Exposure Register?
The Australian Government created the National Asbestos Exposure Register (NAER) to record information for members of the community who may have been exposed to asbestos, for their future reference.
The NAER is a voluntary, privacy-protected register for anyone who believes they may have been exposed to asbestos – whether at work, in the home or in the community. This data is stored securely and can be accessed by the individual in the future if they need to recall the exposure event.
How to register
You can register your information by following this link to the online register –
National Asbestos Exposure Register
Once you have submitted your registration, you will receive a copy of the registration to your nominated email address.
If you experience any issues with your registration, please email us at enquiries@asbestossafety.gov.au.
Is my information protected?
All personal information collected by us is protected and handled in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988. View our privacy policy.
Why do individuals record their exposure details on the NAER?
Often there is a long lag time between exposure to asbestos fibres and developing an asbestos-related disease. Not everyone who is exposed to asbestos fibres will develop an asbestos-related disease. However, registering information on the NAER helps to ensure that accurate details are recorded at the time of the potential exposure, so there is no need to attempt to recall these if a disease was to develop in the future.
What does ASEA do with the NAER data?
Our Annual Report details the number of people who have reported exposure but no detailed analysis of the data is undertaken, as it is stored for individuals to access in the future should they choose.
Annual reporting statistics for the NAER can be found each year in the Asbestos and Silica Safety and Eradication Agency’s Annual Reports – available on our website.
The NAER and other Dust Diseases Registers
The NAER has no formal relationship with Australian state or territory based dust diseases registers, which record incidences of disease rather than exposure, although they may also capture some information about exposure.
ACT (Mr Fluffy) and NSW loose-fill asbestos in residential housing
In addition to registering your details on the NAER, if your potential exposure is related to the loose-fill (e.g. Mr Fluffy) asbestos insulation (most commonly found in houses in the ACT and in some areas of NSW), we also advise you to contact the ACT Loose Fill Asbestos Coordination team or NSW Fair Trading for further information.
What other action should I take if I’ve been exposed to asbestos?
If you believe you have been exposed to asbestos fibres, in addition to recording your details on the NAER, we recommend that you take the following steps as outlined below, depending on where you exposure took place:
If the suspected exposure took place in the workplace:
- contact your employer, who should take immediate action to remove the ongoing risk; or your state or territory work health and safety regulator if that does not occur.
If the suspected exposure took place outside the workplace (home or community):
- contact your local council or state or territory environmental regulator for advice on how to ensure the asbestos fibres pose no ongoing risk to yourself or to others.
You could also arrange an appointment with your GP to discuss the associated health risks and request advice regarding any health assessments that your GP considers appropriate.
