From the 1940s up until the mid-1990s, asbestos was a common fixture in the Australian building industry. This is due to its durability, insulating properties and fireproof nature. However, it was eventually found that the fibres of asbestos were toxic to humans. As such, production of asbestos was stopped and using all forms of asbestos was banned. Any houses in Australia built before 1995 are likely to contain asbestos material. The Dangers of Asbestos Asbestos is safe if it is undamaged and undisturbed. However, once it is damaged, fibres are released into the air that are invisible to the human eye and float through the air. If breathed in, these fibres could cause lung scarring, lung cancer, mesothelioma and various other lung related issues. The health impacts from asbestos can take 50 years to show, but asbestos has been linked to hundreds of deaths a year in Australia and kills 90,000 people per year across the world . Asbestos in construction Prior to the mid-1980s, it wa...