Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral found in the surface of the earth. It contains strong fibres that have excellent durability, fire resistance and insulating properties. Asbestos fibres are 50 to 200 times thinner than a human hair, can float in the air for a long time, can be invisible to the naked eye and can be breathed into the lungs. In the past, asbestos was mined from the ground and manufactured into many different materials. Materials containing asbestos were very common in the Australian residential building industry between the 1940s and late 1980s before their production stopped. The use of all forms of asbestos has been banned nationally since 31 December 2003. The ban does not apply to asbestos installed prior to this date (eg. asbestos materials in houses).

Asbestos has been used in homes worldwide and in Australia can be found in homes built prior to 1990, although if you are uncertain, it’s always best to get a professional opinion and testing carried out. You can find Asbestos around your home in places such as:

If you are simply living or working in a building that contains asbestos, it’s not dangerous as long as the asbestos is in good condition. Asbestos becomes dangerous if you break, scrape, drill, sand, waterblast(gurney) the asbestos - it will become a health hazard as fibres will become released into the air. If you require any work to be done that requires any of this, please contact us and we can discuss the options available to you.