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Asbestos

Asbestos is a group of naturally occurring mineral fibres. In the past asbestos was used in many products because it is:

  • strong
  • good for insulation
  • fire resistant.

The most common types of asbestos used in Australia were:

  • chrysotile (white asbestos)
  • amosite (brown asbestos)
  • crocidolite (blue asbestos).

Chrysotile was used until 2003 in products such as brake linings, paint and insulation.

Amosite and crocidolite were commonly used until the mid-1980s. They were commonly used in building materials, like asbestos cement products. These products are also known as fibro and AC sheeting.

Risks of asbestos

Hard-bonded asbestos (also known as non-friable) products were used the most. These products do not normally release any asbestos fibres into the air if they’re in good condition. As long as these products are in good condition and not disturbed, they are safe to be around.

If these products get damaged or disturbed, they can release fibres into the air. These fibres are very fine and easily breathed in.

Using tools on these products can release large amounts of asbestos fibres. For example, using:

  • power tools to cut, drill, grind, sand or saw
  • high-pressure water blasters to clean before painting.

Health effects of asbestos

There are health risks when you breathe in small asbestos fibres.

Your lungs and upper respiratory tract can usually protect you from larger fibres. However, smaller fibres are harder for your body to remove. These smaller fibres can get trapped in your lungs or move further into your body.

This health risk of breathing in these fibres increases based on:

  • how much of these asbestos fibres you breathe in
  • other health factors, such as if you smoke.

Asbestos related diseases

Although rare, there are several diseases that are related to breathing in asbestos fibres. These include:

  • pleural plaques (thickening of tissue around the lungs)
  • asbestosis (scarring of lung tissue)
  • lung cancer
  • mesothelioma (a rare cancer that affects the lining of the lungs or intestine).

Smoking increases the risk of developing lung cancer after breathing in asbestos.

These diseases can take a long time to develop after breathing in the asbestos fibres – sometimes decades later.

The ACT Asbestos Health Study researched the health effects of living in a house with loose fill asbestos insulation in the ACT.

Read the findings of the ACT Asbestos Health Study.

Who is at risk

Not everyone exposed to asbestos gets an asbestos-related disease. Breathing in asbestos one time or infrequently poses a low risk to your health.

Most people who develop an asbestos-related disease have had a lot of exposure to asbestos. For example, they’ve worked with asbestos a lot over time. This means they have either breathed in:

  • a large number of fibres
  • asbestos fibres many times.

If you think you’ve breathed in asbestos

If you think you have breathed in asbestos, visit your doctor. They can assess your health, personal circumstances, and level of risk.

You can also register your details on the National Asbestos Exposure Register.

Asbestos in the ACT

Any home built in the ACT before 1990 may contain asbestos.

In the 1960s and 1970s, a local company called Mr Fluffy sold pure loose-fill asbestos insulation (friable asbestos) in the ACT region.

The fibres from loose-fill asbestos insulation are very fine. This means they can move into living areas through cracks or holes in walls and ceilings.

Mr Fluffy used this asbestos in roof spaces as ceiling insulation. Mr Fluffy used pure loose-fill asbestos in around 1,000 homes in the ACT.

The Loose Fill Asbestos Insulation Eradication Scheme demolished many of these properties.

There are still a small number of properties that we know have loose-fill asbestos insulation in Canberra. There may also be properties we haven’t found yet.

Read our resource to find out where asbestos is often found in homes [PDF 680 KB].

Find out more about houses with Mr Fluffy asbestos insulation.

How to know if a material contains asbestos

It is not possible to know if a material contains asbestos by looking at it.

To know if a material contains asbestos you need a licensed asbestos assessor to assess the material.

The assessor may take samples for testing. If asbestos is present, the assessor can give you advice about what to do, including:

  • where asbestos is in your home
  • what condition it is in
  • how to manage it.

This information can help you and tradespeople:

  • avoid disturbing or damaging any asbestos
  • plan for its safe removal.

If you live in a house built before 1990, you may consider getting an asbestos assessment.

Find out more about asbestos assessment on the ACT Planning website and WorkSafe ACT.

If you think a property has loose fill asbestos

If you suspect a property has loose fill asbestos:

  • call a licensed asbestos assessor to do an assessment
  • do not touch or move the material.

You should also:

Find out more about loose fill asbestos in the ACT.

How to dispose of asbestos material in the ACT

Asbestos is a hazardous material. This means there are rules you must follow when handling, moving or disposing it.

Find out how to dispose of asbestos material at Worksafe ACT.

Contact us

Health Protection Service

Call 02 5124 9700

Email hps@act.gov.au

This page is managed by: ACT Health Directorate