The use of asbestos in the UK began in the late 19th century and was used primarily to insulate shipping, steam driven engines and other power plants. It was very widely used in all sorts of manufacturing that required a fireproof insulating layer and by the latter part of the 20th century it was extensively used in the building and construction industries too. As early as the 1930s, some research was happening into the dangers surrounding the material and its uses. However it was not until almost 2000 that the UK banned incorporation of all types of asbestos. The use of brown asbestos in insulation boards was called amosite and the worry it that it contributes to our very high rate of mesothelioma. Blue or brown asbestos is suspected of being far more carcinogenic than chrysotile. Serpentine, or white asbestos is thought to be slightly less hazardous. Asbestos itself is not considered harmful when still formed in large piees and undamaged – but when damaged, it can release smaller fibres that are breathed in and swallowed, causing illnesses such as asbestosis that is now known to lead to an increased link with cancer.
