What is asbestos?

Asbestos is the name used for a group of naturally occurring minerals. They have resistance to high temperatures and fire and make effective insulators and so were popular in building products. Asbestos-containing materials include:

  • flat and corrugated sheeting
  • cement pipes
  • insulation
  • floor tiles
  • adhesives
  • roofing
  • automobile parts such as brake pads
  • textiles
  • textured paints.

Products containing asbestos were phased out during the 1980s, a national ban on asbestos, its importation and all products containing asbestos came into effect at the end of 2003.

 

Asbestos and cancer

Asbestos is extremely fibrous and the tiny fibres are easily breathed in where they can become trapped in the lungs. Being exposed to asbestos increases the risk of developing cancers of the lung, ovary and larynx as well as mesothelioma (cancer of the lining of the lung). These cancers often develop decades after exposure to asbestos.

Your cancer risk from asbestos varies, depending upon the:

  • length of time you are exposed to airborne asbestos fibres
  • amount of asbestos fibres in the air breathed
  • frequency of exposure to asbestos fibres
  • time since exposure occurred
  • age at which exposure occurred
  • type and size of asbestos fibres.

Those most likely to have been exposed to asbestos in the workplace include transport workers (particularly waterside workers), asbestos miners and millers, asbestos cement manufacturing workers, builders, plumbers, insulators, electricians and mechanics.

 

What makes asbestos dangerous?

Asbestos fibres are released into the air when people handle asbestos-containing materials with poor safety procedures. Asbestos fibres are around 50 to 200 times thinner than a human hair, can be invisible and be breathed in easily. They can become trapped deep in your lungs and cause damage over a long time.

The two asbestos-containing material groups include:

  • Bonded (non-friable) asbestos materials, made up of a bonding agent (such as cement) with asbestos fibres added. They usually contain less than 15% of asbestos and normally do not release fibres unless they are disturbed, damaged or have deteriorated over time.
  • Friable (loosely bound) asbestos materials are those which can be crumbled or reduced to powder by hand. Bonded asbestos can become friable if severely fire damaged or crusted. Friable asbestos materials are the most dangerous as the fibres can be released into the air.

 

Asbestos manufacturing in Australia and your risk at work today

A wide range of products were manufactured using asbestos until the late 1980s. Examples include building and construction materials (flat or corrugated sheeting and cement pipe), insulation, floor tiles (and their adhesives), roofing, textured paints and textiles.

Gaskets and friction parts containing asbestos were made in Australia up until 2003. These were the last asbestos-containing products made in Australia.

Many asbestos-containing materials still remain in place throughout Australia. Tradespeople and home renovators are still at risk of exposure to the asbestos fibres in these materials.

Safe Work Australia warns workers to be careful of all construction materials, insulation products, gaskets, friction brake products, vehicle and plant equipment that were installed, built, manufactured, commissioned or designed prior to 1 January 2004.

Do you work with any of these materials?

Naturally occurring asbestos

Asbestos may exist in its natural state in soil and rock formations. You may come across this type in road building, site and construction work, other excavation activities and in the mining industry. There are many locations where there is naturally occurring asbestos (such as the Pilbara region of Western Australia). Geological survey information should be checked when working in these areas (refer to your state and territory mapping agencies or Geoscience Australia).