When Is Asbestos A Danger To Me?

Asbestos containing materials become a danger when they are damaged or deteriorate with age as they can release asbestos fibres into the air.  If these fibres are breathed in they can penetrate the lungs where they can cause damage to the lung tissue and will remain permanently.

Drilling, scrubbing, sawing or sanding asbestos containing materials causes a greater risk to health as DIY work can cause high, short term exposure to asbestos fibres.  A single exposure to asbestos fibres can potentially kill.

The only way to be sure if a product contains asbestos is to have it professionally sampled and tested.

Asbestos Around The World

Asbestos can be found almost anywhere on the planet and despite the associated health risks, asbestos is still being mined in many countries throughout the world.  The latest available data shows that 2 million tonnes of asbestos was mined worldwide in 2015. The largest producer of asbestos was Russia with over half of the worlds share at 55%, followed by China at 20%, Brazil with 15.6% and Kazakhstan owning 10.8% of the total share.

In 2009, around 9% of the world’s asbestos production was mined in Canada, however since 2012 they have ceased asbestos mining. There was even a town called Asbestos in Quebec, built around the world’s largest asbestos mine!

As of 2015, out of around 193 world nations, only 55 countries have banned the use of all types of asbestos. Surprisingly there is no current ban on the use of asbestos in China, Russia, Canada, or the United States.