In Australia, asbestos products were used in the construction industry from the 1940’s to the late 1980s, and in the production of plant and car parts up until 2003. In some overseas countries, asbestos is still being made and can be found in some imported products.
Inhalation of Asbestos fibres can lead to a range of diseases including asbestosis and mesothelioma. Asbestosis causes scaring of the lungs while mesothelioma is a cancer of the lung linings and can take a long period to develop after exposure.