What is asbestos?
Asbestos is a substance that can have potentially fatal health effects. While asbestos is now banned from use it was a component of thousands of different products used in the community and industry from the 1940s until the late 1980s.
Disturbed or broken asbestos products or materials can release minute asbestos fibres that once airborne are capable of being inhaled deep into a person’s lungs.
These respirable fibres are a major health hazard and the adverse health effects, such as lung cancer, can take decades to become apparent. The lack of immediate health effects has often meant that victims are unaware of the dangers they are exposed to which means that exposure to the hazard can continue over a long period causing serious health effects.
Due to the serious health risks associated with asbestos it is essential that exposure to it is effectively managed.
Last updated 21 August 2008
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