What is Asbestos?
Asbestos is a soft and flexible mineral that has been in use for many centuries. The Ancient Greeks gave it the name asbestos because of its amazing fireproof qualities. Asbestos literally means inextinguishable. It was during industrial revolution that asbestos became popular and was used in structures such as ceilings and walls to provide insulation.
It was in the 1900’s that the risks to asbestos workers began to emerge. It was in the mid 1920’s that an English doctor made the first diagnosis of asbestosis. Asbestos continued to be used until the mid-seventies and unfortunately many workers had already been exposed to asbestos fibers and contracted mesothelioma. Today, there are many laws and regulations in place to prevent workers being exposes to asbestos, thus preventing workers from contracting this form of cancer.