West Australians are being diagnosed with mesothelioma at a higher rate than anywhere else in the country, with two out of every three victims likely to have contracted the deadly disease at work.
Last year 95 West Australians were among the 465 men and 110 women who were told the shattering news they had contracted the terminal disease as a result of exposure to the deadly fibres.
Twenty per cent of those diagnosed were younger than 65 and included home renovators or "third wave" victims after miners and manufacturers, or "first wave", then tradesmen.
WA recorded a diagnosis rate of 3.9 people per capita [100,000 people], double that of Victoria and New South Wales with 1.8 people per capita diagnosed.
The national rate of newly diagnosed cases in 2013 was 2.2, with Queensland and South Australia recording 2.6 and 2.5 people respectively.
The sobering figures from the Australian Mesothelioma Registry were compiled for Mesothelioma in Australia 2013, a report organised and funded by Safe Work Australia and Comcare.
The national figures come amid news white asbestos was found outside bungalows on Rottnest Island, one of WA's most popular holiday destinations.
White asbestos is used to manufacture brake pads, linings, blocks, clutch plates and gaskets. It was previously used in insulation, cement materials, vinyl flooring, piping, sealants before it was banned.
Lawyer Simon Millman from Slater and Gordon said younger sufferers of asbestos-related diseases were being diagnosed.
"With a 30 to 40-year lag between exposure and diagnosis, it was predictable that the majority of new cases identified in this report were in the 65 and over age bracket, but regrettably nearly 20 per cent of new cases were people under 65," he said.
"Clearly, asbestos is still a significant issue for our community as we are now seeing a third wave of victims, consisting mainly of home renovators and also people being exposed as children.
"The first wave was largely manufacturers and miners and the second wave was tradies and construction workers who were exposed to asbestos fibres in building materials.
"While it is encouraging to see in the report that the number of mesothelioma diagnoses had dropped from 652 in 2012 to 575 in 2013, it doesn't mean we can rest on our laurels.
"The Wittenoom mine may have closed down nearly five decades ago, but the legacy of its deadly dust is still affecting us to this very day and it will continue to be a danger as long as it remains in our homes and workplaces."
UnionsWA secretary Meredith Hammat said findings that two in three people diagnosed with mesothelioma since 2010 had likely been exposed to asbestos in a work situation was alarming.
"The research has shown that occupational asbestos exposure was the likely cause of mesothelioma for nearly 61 per cent of 350 sufferers profiled since 2010," she said.
"As the recent incident on Rottnest Island highlights, we have an abundance of asbestos used in schools and homes throughout Western Australia.
"The deadly risk of this being unleashed by renovations or accidents puts lives at risk.
"Asbestos was mined in Western Australia for over 20 years, with much of the product going into West Australian houses and buildings."
