Why was asbestos used so much?
We all know now that asbestos is incredibly harmful but why was it used in so many building products? Asbestos has a number of qualities that makes it an excellent material for construction purposes, as it was a powerful, inexpensive, and accessible insulation.
Claiming about 5,000 deaths per year in the UK, asbestos in construction is one of the biggest killers and one of the biggest mistakes. It has been called a hidden killer, with construction workers at significant risk of being exposed.
Asbestos kills about 40 workers a week, a figure that has been rising for decades. Since asbestos was used heavily in building products, it can also harm other people who come into contact with it in the home or workplace. For Asbestos Removal Essex, visit https://www.sperion.co.uk/asbestos-removal/asbestos-removal-essex/
So, why was asbestos so popular in the past and placed in so many buildings, commercial and residential?
Well, the dangers of disrupting asbestos fibres weren’t known at the time it was used extensively as a building material. It only later became one of the biggest health risks facing the industry. Asbestos, unfortunately, had several properties that made it brilliant as a building material:
Strong
Cheap
Sound insulation
Heat resistant
Fire Protection
Resistant to Chemicals
Resistant to water
Resistant to Power
Asbestos is a natural substance that is found throughout the world. It was used for thousands of years with evidence of asbestos products as long ago as the ancient Greek and Roman times. It became popular in England after the industrial revolution.