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What is Asbestos
Asbestos is a naturally-occurring mineral fibre. There are six types of asbestos:
- Chrysotile (white asbestos)
- Amosite (brown or grey asbestos)
- Crocidolite (blue asbestos)
- Tremolite
- Actinolite
- Anthophylite
Asbestos was once considered to be a very useful mineral because it is flexible, strong, affordable and can insulate from heat and electricity. Because of this, it was commonly used in the construction of homes and buildings up until the mid-1980s. Australia had one of the highest rates of asbestos use per person in the world.
Exposure to asbestos fibres can cause life-threatening illnesses, so the manufacture of asbestos products was banned nationally from 31 December 2003.
Asbestos in the home
Approximately one third of all homes in Australia contain asbestos products. If your house was built before 1990, it is likely that it would have some asbestos-containing materials. Asbestos or asbestos-containing materials could be found in the following areas:
- roofing and gutters
- gables and eaves
- walls
- vinyl, carpet and tile underlay
- Lining behind wall tiles
- imitation brick cladding
- fencing
- sheds
- splashbacks in wet areas
- telecommunications pits
- some window putty
- expansion joints
- packing under beams
- concrete formwork
