“Asbestos” is the name given to a group of minerals that occur naturally as bundles of
fibers which can be separated into thin threads. These fibers are not affected by heat
or chemicals and do not conduct electricity. For these reasons, asbestos has been widely
used in many industries.
Asbestos fiber masses tend to break easily into a dust composed of tiny particles
that can float in the air and stick to clothes. The fibers may be easily inhaled or
swallowed and can cause serious health problems.
Uses of Asbestos
Asbestos was used in the following products
- Asbestos cement sheet and pipe products used for water supply and sewage piping,
roofing and siding, casings for electrical wires, fire protection material, electrical
switchboards and components, and residential and industrial building materials. - Friction products, such as clutch facings, brake linings for automobiles, gaskets,
and industrial friction materials. - Products containing asbestos paper, such as table pads and heat-protective mats,
heat and electrical wire insulation, industrial filters for beverages, and underlying
material for sheet flooring. - Asbestos textile products, such as packing components, roofing materials, and
heat- and fire-resistant fabrics (including blankets and curtains). - Other products, including ceiling and floor tile; gaskets and packings; paints,
coatings, and adhesives; caulking and patching tape; artificial ashes and embers for
use in gas-fired fireplaces; plastics; vermiculite-containing consumer garden products;
and some talc-containing crayons.
Asbestos is well recognized as a health hazard and is highly regulated. An estimated 1.3 million employees in construction and general industry face significant asbestos exposure on the job. Heaviest exposures occur in the construction industry, particularly during the removal of asbestos during renovation or demolition. Employees are also likely to be exposed during the manufacture of asbestos products (such as textiles, friction products, insulation, and other building materials) and during automotive brake and clutch repair work.
Health risks associated with asbestos
Exposure to asbestos may increase the risk of several serious diseases:
- Asbestosis is a chronic lung ailment that can produce shortness of breath, coughing,
and permanent lung damage. - Lung cancer.
- Mesothelioma is a relatively rare cancer of the thin membranes that line the
chest and abdomen. - Other cancers, such as those of the larynx, oropharynx, gastrointestinal tract,
and kidney.
Those at risk
Many of those now suffering from asbestos-related disease were exposed to very high
levels of asbestos in the more traditional industries e.g. shipbuilding, construction,
boiler work. However, recent research has shown that 25% of the deaths from the disease
are in people who have spent some of their working lives in the building and maintenance
trades. Those people have often worked without knowing that they have repeatedly been
exposed to asbestos fibres when they disturb contaminated building materials.
These building and maintenance workers continue to be at risk from exposure to
asbestos. These include: heating and ventilating engineers, roofing contractors,
fire and burglar alarm installers, general maintenance workers, electricians, plumbers,
carpenters, joiners, plasterers, painters and decorators, gas fitters, demolition
workers, telephone engineers, computer installation engineers, site managers, surveyors,
janitors and those others who disturb the fabric of buildings in their day to day work
Asbestos Resources
The EPA Asbestos Information site
