Asbestos

Asbestos is the name given to a group of naturally occurring fibrous minerals which are usually found mixed with cement products to produce a variety of building materials.  There are two types of asbestos containing materials, friable and non-friable. Non-friable asbestos are bonded which means that the asbestos is mixed with other products such as cement making it solid and rigid. The asbestos is tightly bound within the product therefore the fibres are not released into the air unless the product is damaged or degraded. This is the most common type of asbestos found within commercial and domestic settings. Friable asbestos is soft, loose and can be crumbled into fine material with very little pressure. These products contain very high amounts of asbestos and the fibres are easily released into the environment.