As many building products had Asbestos gradually phased out of their contents (i.e fibro sheeting), sampling is suggested for 100% identification of a suspect Asbestos Containing product. Townsville Asbestos Pty Ltd use a NATA approved laboratory for all sample testing, and can provide a written report for your peace of mind.

For further information, please contact us for details.

AC Sheet – refer to asbestos cement sheet.

Adhesives – Industrial adhesives commonly contained asbestos.

Air-conditioning ducts: exterior or interior acoustic and thermal insulation

Aprons – made from woven asbestos.

Arc shields  - in life motor rooms or large electrical cabinets. Also known as flash boards.

“Asbestolux” – low density board containing asbestos. It generally contains up to 70% asbestos. It was introduced to Australia by James Hardie & Co. in 1957.

Asbestos based plastics products as electrical insulates and acid resistant compositions or aircraft seat

Asbestos ceiling panels

Asbestos cement conduit

Asbestos cement electrical fuse boards

Asbestos cement external roofs and walls

Asbestos Cement in the use of form work when pouring concrete

Asbestos cement Insulation

Asbestos cement internal flues and downpipes

Asbestos cement moulded products such as gutters, ridge cappings, gas metre covers, cable troughs and covers

Asbestos cement pieces for packing spaces between floor joists and piers

Asbestos cement (underground) pits, as used for traffic control wiring, telecommunications cabling etc

Asbestos cement render, plaster, mortar and coursework

Asbestos cement sheet

Asbestos cement sheet behind ceramic tiles

Asbestos cement sheet internal over exhaust canopies such as ovens, fume cupboards, etc

Asbestos cement sheet internal walls and ceilings

Asbestos cement sheet underlays for vinyl

Asbestos cement storm drain pipes

Asbestos cement water pipes (usually underground)

Asbestos coated malthoid roofing

Asbestos containing laminates (eg formica) used where heat resistance is required, eg ships

Asbestos containing pegboard

Asbestos containing Roof sealant

Asbestos felts

Asbestos marine board eg. marinate

Asbestos mattresses used for covering hot equipment in power stations

Asbestos paper used variously for insulation, filtering and production of fire resistant laminates

Asbestos roof tiles

Asbestos textiles

Asbestos textile gussets in air-conditioning ducting systems

Asbestos wall panels

Asbestos yarn

“Asbestroof” roofing sealant paint

Autoclave/steriliser insulation

Automotive body undersealer – Sealants made from bitumen often contained asbestos.

Battery Boxes – In older cars made from pitch rubber and asbestos.

Bitumen based water proofing such as malthoid, typically on roofs and floors but also in brickwork

Bituminous adhesives and sealants

Bituminous Membranes – Used for waterproofing on rooftops and floors.

Blackboards – made from painted asbestos cement sheets.

Blankets – Made from woven asbestos. Used for insulating/protection of steam pipes/valves and as fire insulation in penetrations in floors/walls.

Boiler gaskets

Boiler insulation, slabs and wet mix

Bracket Insulation – For fire protection was asbestos was sprayed on to structural building brackets.

Braid – Made from woven asbestos

Brake disc pads

Brake linings – Resin impregnated braid used on all vehicles, lifts, industrial lifting equipment etc. First made by Ferodo Limited in England in 1896.

Cable penetration insulation bags (typically Telecom)

Cable sheaths – Woven around electrical cable.

Calorifier insulation – provides insulation to hot water calorifiers usually externally cladded with calico or metal.

Carpet Underlay

Car body filters (not common)

Caulking compounds, sealant and adhesives

Cement render

Cement Sheets (refer to Asbestos Cement Sheets)

Chrysotile wicks in kerosene heaters

Cinema Screens – Made from woven asbestos.

Clutch faces

“Colorbord” – Trade name for Asbestos product sold by James Hardie and Co. Introduced in Australia in 1960.

Compressed asbestos cement panels for flooring, typically verandahs, bathrooms and steps for demountable buildings

Compressed asbestos fibres (CAF) used in brakes and gaskets for plant and automobiles

Cooling Towers – Outer cladding and internal filler from asbestos cement sheet ( commonly corrugated “super six” sheeting). Also internal plastic filler containing asbestos.

“Coverline” – Trade name for Asbestos product sold by James Hardie and Co. manfacturing ceased in 1985.

Curtains – Made from woven asbestos.

Door seals  - found on domestic and industrial ovens, fire Proof Cabinets, Furnaces and Boilers.

Downpipes – from roof to ground for water run off

“Drain Pipe” – Trade name for Asbestos pipe sold by James Hardie and Co. manfacturing ceased in 1984.

Dumped asbestos waste – The illegal dumping of waste containing asbestos material can be a real hazard. Inform your local council immediately upon finding any materials that may contain asbestos.

“Durabestos” – Trade name of Asbestos Cement Sheeting sold by Wunderlich in Australia.

“Durachrome” –  Trade name of Asbestos Cement Sheeting for wet areas sold by Wunderlich in Australia.

“Duratile” – Trade name for Asbestos tile sheeting sold by Wunderlich in Australia.

“Durawall” – Brand name of Asbestos Cement Sheeting sold by Wunderlich in Australia.

Electrical appliances – Used asbestos insulation including irons, hair dryers, TV sets, film projectors, toasters.

Electrical conduits – made from moulded asbestos cement sheeting.

Electric heat banks – block insulation

Electric hot water services – normally not asbestos but some millboard could be present

Electric light fittings, high wattage, insulation around fitting (and bituminised)

Electrical switchboards – see Pitch based

Exhaust pipes – Commonly found on exhausts from engines like Generators found withing buildings.

F

Fake brick cladding – Were often attached to Asbestos cement sheets for backing.

Fences – commonly made from corrugated asbestos sheeting.

Fibro – common name used in Queensland for Asbestos Cement sheeting.

“Fibrock” – Corrugated Asbestos Cement Sheeting sold by CSR.

“Fibrolite” – Trade name for Asbestos cement Sheeting made by James Hardie & Co. in Australia.

Filler in acetylene gas cylinders

Filters – beverage, wine filtration, cigarette, gas masks etc.  Used both in a powdered form as well as a filter paper.  Used in beverage and food manufacturing industries for product filtering, within gas masks and HEPA filters.

Fire damage – Building fires due to the heat, have the potential to cause bonded  (non-friable) asbestos sheets to become friable with real potential to cause asbestos fibres to be released into the atmosphere.

Fire blankets – made from woven asbestos.

Fire curtains – made from woven asbestos used for fire protection in theatres between the stage and seating area.

Fire door insulation – Central core of doors, containing one, two or three layers of asbestos fire rated board. Some hollow metal doors internally lined with Millboard.

Fire-rated wall rendering containing asbestos with mortar

Fire-resistant plaster board, typically on ships

Fire-retardant material on steel work supporting reactors on columns in refineries in the chemical industry

Fishponds – Constructed from moulded asbestos cement sheet.

Flexible hoses

Floor vinyl sheets

Floor vinyl tiles

Flowerpots – Constructed from moulded asbestos cement sheet.

Flues – Asbestos cement flues on heaters, hot water services etc.

Fume Cupboards – Walls, bench tpsando/r baffle plates made from asbestos cement sheeting or fire rated board.

Furnace Insulation – Internal walls of Industrial furnaces lined with fire rated asbestos board.

Fuse blankets and ceramic fuses in switchboards – small pieces of woven asbestos braid used to stop arcing in high voltage ceramic fuse blocks.

Galbestos – Trade mark for  galvanised iron sheets coated with asbestos on each side covered by a coating of paint or bitumen.  Available in flat, corrugated or other profiles. Manufactured in the 1950′s to the 1970′s.

Gaskets – chemicals, refineries

Gaskets – general. First high pressure gaskets made in Austria in 1900.

Gauss Mats – Asbestos impregnated wire used in laboratories.

Gauze mats in laboratories/chemical refineries

Gloves – made from woven asbestos

Hairdryers – insulation around heating elements

“Hardiflex” – Trade name for Asbestos cement sheeting sold by James Hardie and Co. Introduced in Australia in 1964,  manfacturing ceased in 1981. Was replaced by safer cellulose fibre versions however the name “Hardiflex” was retained.  This may cause some confusion.

“Hardiplank” – Trade name for Asbestos cement sheeting sold by James Hardie and Co. manfacturing ceased in 1981.

“Harditherm” – Trade name for Asbestos product sold by James Hardie and Co. manfacturing ceased in 1984.

Hats – made from woven asbestos.

Header (manifold) insulation

Heat Banks – insulation blocks or millboard using asbestos were used in some domestic and industrial heat banks up to the early 1980′s.

“Highline” – Trade name for Asbestos product sold by James Hardie and Co. manfacturing ceased in 1985.

Ice boxes – before the advent of refrigeration many ice boxes used asbestos for insulation.

Insoles – for shoes early in the 20th Century were made from asbestos reporting to help cure bunions and corns.

“Insulabestos” – Trade Mark product marketed by Wunderlich in Australia.

Insulation blocks

Insulation in electric reheat units for air conditioner systems

Ironing Board Covers – made from woven asbestos.

Laboratory bench tops – made from compressed asbestos sheeting.

Laboratory fume cupboard panels

Laboratory Mats – Commonly found under Bunsen Burners. Made from Asbestos sheet or fire rated asbestos board.

Laboratory ovens – wall insulation

Lagged exhaust pipes on emergency power generators

Lagging in penetrations in fireproof walls

Laminates – contain a thin layer of paper containing asbestos beneath the outer decorative coating.  Was used in Ship building and in high temperature applications.

LBD – Low Density Board – refer to “Asbestolux”

“Lebah” – see Pitch Based

Lift doors – Internal cores often contained asbestos insulation.

Lift shafts – asbestos cement panels lining the shaft at the opening of each floor, and asbestos packing around penetrations

Light fittings – may contain asbestos cable sheathing or millboard seals. Bakelite fittings ma contain asbestos.

Limpet asbestos spray insulation – “Limpet” asbestos is a trade name used by J.W. Roberts Limited to market sprayed asbestos insulation.

Limpet Board – perforated “peg” board containing asbestos.  The main application was to cover psrayed limpet asbestos. Was also used to cover synthetic mineral fibre insulation batt or blankets to provide a fire rating.

Low Density Board – refer to “Asbestolux”

Marinite – Used in ship building , a fire rated asbestos board.

Mastics

Mattresses – Made from woven asbestos cloth often with loose asbestos fill. Used to cover pipe flanges, power generator exhaust pipes etc.

Millboard – A soft cardboard like material containing asbestos. Used as a thermal and electrical insulator.

Millboard between heating unit and wall

Millboard lining of switchboxes

Monocote – Sprayed asbestos insulation.

Mortar – Asbestos was often added to Mortar.

Oven Insulation – Internal lining of fire rated board and woven asbestos seals.

Packing materials for gauges, valves, etc can be square packing, rope or loose fibre

Packing material on window anchorage points in high rise buildings

Paint, typically industrial epoxy paints

Penetrations through concrete slabs in high rise buildings

Pipes – Asbestos cement pipes were used fro fresh water supply, storm-water and sewerage systems.

Pipe insulation including moulded sections, water mix type, rope braid and sheet

Pitch-based (eg zelemite, asbestos, lebah) electrical switchboard

Pits – Used for services, eg electrical, water. Found under roads, footpaths, buildings. Made from moulded asbestos sheeting.

Plaster and plaster cornice adhesives

Plastics – Asbestos was used as a filler material in many common plastic polymers such as PVC, polypropylene and nylon.

“Pressure Pipe” – Trade name for Asbestos cement pipe sold by James Hardie and Co. manfacturing ceased in 1987.

Proximity Suits – Used by firefighters  made from woven asbestos .  The modern fire suits are internally lined with non asbestos fabric with the external surface sealed with an aluminium coating to assist in the deflection of radiant heat.

Re-Heat Box Insulation –  Contained Asbestos board with the re-heat boxes of Air Conditioning systems.

Refractory linings

Refractory tiles

Render – Asbestos was often added to cement based renders.

Ridge Capping – found on roofs that used “Super Six” corrugated Asbestos sheeting

Roadway Pits – Constructed of moulded asbestos cement.

Roof Slates – sold as roof covering in North Queensland. at least one known brand “Durabestos”

“Roofing Accessories” – Trade name for Asbestos products sold by James Hardie and Co. manfacturing ceased in 1985.

Rope – many ropes made from woven asbestos fibres.

Rubber articles – extent of usage unknown

Sealant between floor slab and wall, usually in boiler rooms, risers or lift shafts

Sealant or mastic on windows

Sealants and mastic in air-conditioning ducting joints

Screeds – Floor levelling screeds often contained asbestos.

“Shadowline” – Moulded asbestos cement sheeting marketed by James Hardie & Co. Introduced in Australia in 1958.  Manufacturing ceased in 1985. Found on Queensland buildings mainly on walls and garages.

Shotgun shell wads – packed with asbestos.

Silbestos – Sprayed asbestos insulation using the blue asbestos from the Wittenoom mine

Socks – Made from woven asbestos fibres. marketed to be a cure for corns and bunions

Soffits – contained Asbestos sheeting often with opening for air flow into the ceiling cavity.

Spackle or plasterboard wall jointing compounds – asbestos mainly present in the top coat.

Sprayed Insulation – Sprayed insulation containing asbestos was used for fire protection, thermal insulation, condensation control and acoustic insulation.  Trade names include Limpet, Asbestospray, Cafco, Silbestos and Monokote.

Sprayed insulation – acoustic wall and ceiling

Sprayed insulation – beams and ceiling slabs

Sprayed insulation – fire retardant sprayed on nut internally, for bolts holding external building wall panels

Steriliser insulation – asbestos blocks or composite materials applied to the outer surface of the steriliser unit and clad with calico or metal sheeting.

Stoves – old domestic type, wall insulation

String – Applications include windings on welding electrodes and thread for sewing together various asbestos products.

Steam Engine Insulation – The boilers of locomotives and steam traction engineswere insulated with asbestos blankets and other asbestos products.

“Super Six” – Trade name for a corrugated asbestos cement sheet marketed by James Hardie & Co. Introduced in Australia in 1926. Manufacturing ceased in 1985.  Commonly found in Queensland as roofing, fencing and use for walls 0n sheds etc.

Switchboards – Older Black electrical switchboards manufactured from coal tar itch and asbestos.  Marketed under Brand names of “Zelemite” and  ”Miscolite”.

Talc – Can be found with asbestos as a natural contaniment in talc.

Tape and rope – lagging and jointing

Tapered ends of pipe lagging, where lagging is not necessarily asbestos

Tasbestos – Brand name of Asbestos cement sheeting made by Goliath Portland Cement Co. in Tasmania.

Telecommunications pits – Underground pits made of mould asbestos cement sheeting.

Telephone Boxes – The dome top on the old PMG phone boxes was made from mouled asbestos cement sheet.

Textiles – Various products made from woven asbestos.

“Tilux”  - Trade mark introduced in to Australia by James Hardie & Co. in 1929. Laminated flat asbestos sheeting in place of ceramic tiles in wet areas g. shower recesses, bathrooms and kitchens.  Very common in Queensland.

Trailing cable under lift cabins

Trains – country – guards vans – millboard between heater and wall

Trains – Harris cars – sprayed asbestos between steel shell and laminex

Underlay – Millboard or asbestos cement sheeting used as underlay to vinyl flooring and ceramic floor tiles.

Valve, pump, etc insulation

Vermiculite – Can be found as a natural contaniment in vermiculite.

“Versilux” – Trade name for Asbestos cement sheeting sold by James Hardie and Co. manfacturing ceased in 1982.

“Villaboard” – Trade name for Asbestos cement sheeting sold by James Hardie and Co. manfacturing ceased in 1981.

Vinyl Floor tiles – Used in vinyl tiles until about 1985.  Older tiles contained up to 28% asbestos, while the tiles manufactured in the 1980′s contained 8% asbestos.

Vinyl Floor Sheeting – Asbestos millboard or paper used as backing to upper layer of non asbestos vinyl sheeting.

Weatherboards – Woodgrain textured asbestos cement sheeting weatherboards. Common in Queensland.

Welding rods – were wrapped with asbestos string.

Window seals – Asbestos braid used as seals within window frames. Usually associated  with asbestos cement sheet clad roofs (e.g skylights  associated with sawtooth roofs)

Woven asbestos cable sheath

Zelminite – refer to switchboards

A James Hardie ceiling panel. Very popular in commercial and public buildings. If in doubt have a sample tested to ensure the identification whether it contains asbestos or not.

Advertisement for an Asbestos Roofing Compound sold in Townsville in 1912 (17 February 1912, The Queenslander)

Please read the Factsheet from the Queensland Division of Workplace Health and Safety regarding this product (PDF, 318kb)

Asbestos bags recycled for use in carpet underlay (PDF, 40kb)

Example of a Downpipe containing Asbestos. From a Commercial building site.

An example of illegally dumped waste containing sheets of asbestos containing material. Contact your local council council immediately upon finding waste that has been dumped illegally. Asbestos waste can be real hazard if not disposed of properly.

An illegally dumped water pipe with damaged outer asbestos containing insulation. Due to the poor condition of the insulation this can be a real hazard unless disposed of in the correct manner.