Asbestos Surveys
An inside look at Asbestos
Asbestos is a highly heat-resistant fibrous silicate mineral that can be woven into fabrics, and is used in brake linings and in fire-resistant and insulating materials. It has six sub-classifications: chrysotile, crocidolite, amosite, anthophyllite, tremolite, and actinolite. Among these, chrysotile and amosite asbestos are the most common.
Although asbestos fibers are microscopic in nature, they are extremely durable and resistant to fire and most chemical reactions and breakdowns. These properties of asbestos were the reasons that supported its use for many years in a number of different commercial and industrial capacities.
The strength of asbestos, combined with its resistance to heat, allowed it to become the material of choice in a variety of products, including, but not limited to, roofing shingles, floor tiles, ceiling materials, cement compounds, textile products, thermal insulation material, fire protective material and automotive parts. Asbestos is now strictly regulated as exposure to this toxic mineral can now be directly and scientifically linked to a number of lung and respiratory health conditions.
Legislation
The main objectives of the asbestos regulations is to prohibit the use, processing or manufacturing, of any asbestos or asbestos-containing product unless it can be proven that no suitable alternative exists.
South Africa has been prohibiting the import or export of any asbestos or asbestos-containing product, and will also stop the import of any asbestos or asbestos containing waste material other than from a member of the Southern African Development Community. The regulations do, however, make provision for asbestos to be used for research purposes.
Where is asbestos found?
Asbestos, often mixed with cement, was mostly used in buildings and can be found in roofs, gutters, pipes, boilers, ceiling tiles, insulation boards, sprayed coatings and many other products. In fact, asbestos was so popular during the past century that more than 3000 articles contained it, some of which are still found in their original form.
What is the danger?
Asbestos fibers inhaled into the lungs may cause a range of serious lung diseases, including asbestosis (scarring of the lung), lung cancer and mesothelioma (a malignant and fatal tumor that grows on the lining of the lung).
