Asbestos and its uses

See Also : Asbestos and its uses | Asbestos related diseases
Tracing Employers | Family Claims | Asbestos Occupations

Asbestos is a naturally-occurring mineral found almost all over the world which has been used for many years for its natural thermal properties.

Large amounts of asbestos come from the former Soviet Union, Canada (white asbestos), South Africa (brown asbestos) and Australia (blue asbestos).

Most commercially-manufactured products containing asbestos - and used in a wide range of applications - feature one or more of six different types.

The most common are Chrysotile (white asbestos), Amosite (brown asbestos) and Crocidolite (blue asbestos). The rarer types are Fibrous Tremolite, Fibrous Anthophyllite and Fibrous Actinolite

Through the generations, many people exposed to asbestos have died from asbestos-related diseases, most of which occur a long time - usually between 15-60 years - after inhaling its fibres.

Several fatal conditions, including Asbestosis and Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma, are medically-linked to inhaling asbestos fibres.

Medical research demonstrates that the more asbestos fibres inhaled, the greater the risk of developing a disease but it is not known exactly how or why they come about. There is no indication of a `safe' amount of exposure and not everyone who breathes in asbestos dust and fibres develops a disease.

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