Asbestos refers to a set of six naturally occurring fibrous minerals. Asbestos has six primary subclassifications; chrysotile, crocidolite, amosite, anthophyllite, tremolite, and actinolite. Among these, chrysotile and amosite asbestos are the most common.
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1 in 3 houses in NZ contain Asbestos which makes it a nationwide issue, especially with houses built in the 80’s and 90’s.
If your house or building was built or renovated in the 80’s or 90’s, it is likely to contain Asbestos in some form. To confirm whether a material contains asbestos is to have it tested by a qualified laboratory. We only recommend testing suspect materials if they are damaged (fraying, crumbling) or if you are planning a renovation that would disturb the suspect material.
As a general rule, if a building was constructed:
- Before mid-1980s it is very likely to have materials containing asbestos
- Between mid-1980s and 1990 it is likely to have materials containing asbestos
- After 1990 it is unlikely to have material containing asbestos
According to the Auckland City Council, homeowner’s are often unaware of the existence of asbestos and the serious health risks its removal brings. Materials containing asbestos are often brittle and break easily; if disturbed fibres are released into the atmosphere and can be breathed in up to 30 days after its removal.
Asbestos can be found in many building materials:
NEW ZEALAND HISTORY OF ASBESTOS
1943: New Zealand’s first asbestos factory.
1944: The first health concerns with asbestos were published in a government report on industrial hygiene.
1951: Department of Health report notes dangers of dust to asbestos quarry workers.
1963: Quarrying asbestos in New Zealand ends.
1966: Government inspector in Christchurch notes lack of protection for workers from dust at Christchurch asbestos cement works.
1968: NZ Builders Worker’s Union publishes articles on asbestos risks to health, “the first time any organisation, including Government, had alerted the workers, their families, and the wider public to the health risks of asbestos”.
1971: “Restricted, Confidential, Not for publication”- A Government survey of the health of asbestos workers led to encouragement to seek alternatives to asbestos.
1973: Asbestos regulations proposed.
1978: Asbestos regulation published after five year delay, but industry lacked equipment to measure worker exposure to asbestos dust.
1984-1990: Unions lead fight to reveal true scale of asbestos-related deaths.
1991: Asbestos Advisory Committee report acknowledges a “major epidemic of asbestos-related disease”.
1992: National Asbestos Register and Asbestos Exposure Register created. Annual asbestos report initiated.
2014: Asbestos annual reports ended. Asbestos Exposure Register still exists, but it is not public. It contains over 20,000 names.
2016: Asbestos regulations brought in banning import and export of asbestos products.
More about our Asbestos Removal Licenses.
