Asbestos is a group of naturally occurring minerals that were widely used in the construction, insulation, and manufacturing industries from the 1950s to the 1990s. Asbestos was prized for its fire-resistant, strong, and flexible properties, and was found in many common building materials, such as:

• Roofing tiles and shingles
• Floor tiles and adhesives
• Insulation boards and pipes
• Textured coatings and paints
• Cement products and pipes
• Electrical wiring insulation

However, despite its many benefits, asbestos is one of the most hazardous substances known to man. When asbestos fibers are inhaled, they can penetrate deep into the lungs and cause severe and often fatal diseases, such as:

• Asbestosis: scarring of lung tissue
• Lung cancer: malignant tumor in lung tissue
• Mesothelioma: aggressive cancer in the lining of the lungs, abdomen or heart

What makes asbestos particularly dangerous is that it doesn't have an immediate effect on health in fact, it may take 20 to 50 years for symptoms to appear. This means that many people who worked with or were exposed to asbestos in the past may still be at risk today, and may not even know it.