Asbestos has been banned in Australia for more than a decade, and use of the material became extremely limited back in the 1980s. But while it is no longer used, Australians still live in the wake of a time when we as a country had the highest use of asbestos in the world. In today's article, we look at how asbestos was used (and to what extent) and the timeline that led to the outright ban of the material in its entirety.

The use of asbestos

Asbestos was used extensively in the past, particularly during the period after the end of World War II. As a material, asbestos fibre was comparatively cheaper and, therefore, an appealing option among numerous industries.

It was the asbestos cement manufacturing industry where asbestos production and consumption was at its highest - over 60% for production, 90% for consumption. While asbestos materials have been banned for quite some time, this abundance of usage means many homes and commercial properties still contain asbestos in varying forms.

Below are a few stats showing how asbestos was used:

• From the end of WW II to 1954, 70,000 houses were built in NSW that contained asbestos cement - this accounted for 52% of all houses built in NSW during that period
• 98% of homes built before in 1976 in Victoria contained asbestos (20% of domestic roofs contained asbestos, too)
• In Queensland, like most other states/territories, asbestos was dominantly used between the 1940s and 1980s
• Australia had the highest per capita use of asbestos in the world

Banning asbestos

It took quite some time for asbestos to be banned outright in Australia, but notable limits in its usage did occur before this. As awareness of the potential - and now confirmed - health risks grew, less and less people were willing to use asbestos. In the 1980s, asbestos products were gradually removed from production and sale in Australia, and its use in domestic building materials came to an end.

These measures continued and ultimately culminated in the movement of a total asbestos ban on 31 December, 2003. Ever since, the sale, use, production, import/export, etc. of asbestos is illegal in Australia.

Nowadays, the amount of asbestos continues to dwindle as more and more older properties that still contain the material are either having the material removed and replaced with safe alternatives or are being demolished (safely, of course, to ensure asbestos fibres do not escape).

For those living in homes that still have traces of the material, they're advised to have it removed if the asbestos material itself isn't in sound condition. This means that if the asbestos fibres have become loose (e.g. there's a crack in the walling, piping, roofing, etc.) they'll need to be removed as the danger chiefly resides in airborne fibres.

If your roof has asbestos and you're concerned about possible health risks it could be posing, Roo Roofing can help. We are certified in safe asbestos removal. Give us a call on 1300 734 148.