Asbestos Survey in Braintree

It is often thought that asbestos is a manmade material. It's not. Asbestos is actually a mineral that is found in several parts of the world, including Russia, Brazil and China. It first came to human attention thousands of years ago, but it was only used in the creation of specialty items mostly reserved for the rich. Near the end of the 19th century, manufacturers of building products discovered asbestos and its robust fire resistance and began mining it on an industrial scale. They were soon using it to create a plethora of products, including everything from pipe insulation to blankets. During the 20th century, many of these products - and others including ceiling tiles, drywall, countertops and more - found their way into millions of UK homes despite the fact that there was evidence almost from the start of large-scale mining that asbestos was a significant health hazard. It took another century, however, for the government to finally ban its use.