What is asbestos?
Asbestos is the generic term for a number of fibrous silicate minerals. Products made from asbestos cement – bonded asbestos material — include fibro sheeting (flat and corrugated) as well as water, drainage and flue pipes, roofing shingles and guttering. Only fibro products made before 1987 contain asbestos. In NSW, for example, the use of asbestos was discontinued in fibro sheets by 1982, in corrugated sheets by 1984 and in all other products by 1986. The manufacture and use of asbestos products was banned nationally from 31 December 2003.
• Asbestos is the name for a group of fibrous minerals that are mined and mixed into building materials. • Asbestos is very resistant to heat and chemicals. • Asbestos has been used in a wide range of manufactured goods including floor and ceiling tiles, coatings, texturing materials and thermal insulation. • Currently, asbestos is used only in products where another material has not been found to replace it. • Generally, asbestos is not a health risk when bound together with a substance that prevents the fibers from entering the environment.
