The Asbestos Products Database is Australia’s first comprehensive online database to assist homeowners, renovators, tradespeople and some industries to identify asbestos-containing materials so they can be managed safely. The database provides  multiple search options for products commonly used in residential and commercial properties, in agriculture, automotive, industrial, plant and marine products and features over 60 different product types and more than 550 product photographs with descriptions and locations where these products might be found in homes built or renovated prior to 1990. 

Asbestos Cement Sheet

Product description
Smooth, flat fibre cement sheet that is painted on-site to create a flat panel look. Tough, flexible sheeting suitable for external cladding and internal lining. Flat cement sheets were made of asbestos fibres and cement mix, commonly in the ratio of 1 to 9. In the asbestos cement sheet, asbestos fibres are bound within the cement matrix and are considered to be well immobilised in the cement and less prone to be released into the environment. Due to its asbestos content, cement sheets are heat and moisture resistant making them ideal for use in wet or heat sensitive areas. Asbestos cement sheets were used as ceiling paneling, internal and external walls, external eaves across domestic, agricultural, commercial and industrial applications. Often referred to as fibro. Fibro sheeting is perhaps one of the commonest building products to come across when doing renovations to an older building. It was widely used from the 1950s to the late 1980s.The most likely form of fibro to come across is flat sheet fibro, often used for outside cladding of houses, sheds and garages. This flat sheeting was simply nailed to the wooden framed structure thus making construction quick and cheap. Below lists the approximate dates the products ceased to be manufactured with asbestos. Hardiflex 1981 Hardiplank 1981 -Hardiplank was external cladding typically used in residential single and medium-density homes, including alterations and additions, achieving a traditional or weatherboard look. Villaboard 1981 Versilux 1982 Harditherm 1984 Highline 1985 Shadowline 1985 Coverline 1985
Product type	Cement - sheets, moulded product
Sub-Product type
Trading name(s)	Fibrolite Versilux Colorbord Hardiflex - ceased 1981 Hardiplank - ceased 1981 Harditherm - ceased 1984 Wunderflex Hardie's Compressed Sheet Villaboard - ceased 1981 Durabestos
Other name(s)	AC sheet, fibre cement sheet, fibro
Build element	Construction of exterior and interior walls and ceilings.
Product identification
An indicator the cladding is made of asbestos cement sheeting is moulded asbestos cement battens / cover strips used to cover the join between the sheets which were usually 40mmx6mm or 75mmx8mm or wooden d mould cover strips. Asbestos cement sheets are white to grey in colour and are quite hard and brittle. When subjected to machining, power tools or extensive weathering this product can become friable and the internal fibres that were originally bounded by cement can become liberated into the air. Another key identification is when the nail head is sitting on top of the sheet (not indented into the surface).
Known uses	Tough, flexible sheeting suitable for external cladding (walls and eaves) and internal lining of homes (walls and ceilings), sheds, garages, chook sheds, extensions and additions.
Asbestos fibre type	Amosite (brown asbestos) Chrysotile (white asbestos) Crocidolite (blue asbestos)
Friable or Non-Friable	Non-Friable
Known Supplier(s)	James Hardie CSR
Known place of manufacture	Australia, China, Canada, Russia
Date / period of manufacture	1940s - 1987
Building construction period	1900-1920,1921-1930,1931-1940,1941-1950,1951-1960,1961-1970,1970-1980,1981-1990,Pre 1900
Location	Domestic home Bathroom Bedroom Buried in soil / under slabs Ceiling / Ceiling space Dining room Dog kennels Exterior Fencing Fireplace Garage Hallway Internal walls Kitchen Laundry Living room Mouldings - internal and external Outhouse Power box Shed Toilet Other Commercial Building structure Ceilings Exterior Moulded Product Walls Industrial Building structure Ceilings Electrical Exterior Moulded Product Walls Other Public

 

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Media CentreAccess the media centre for press releases and comprehensive journalist notes. For print ready images visit the downloads page.

DownloadsEverything to help raise awareness about the dangers of asbestos in and around homes. Downloads include high resolution images of asbestos products, hazard locations and promotional images; awareness collateral like posters and flyers available in 6 languages; online web banners; audio visual presentations and videos and various advertising collateral (press ads, radio ads and community service announcements). There are over 270 files to choose!

Resources for Registered ParticipantsPassword Protected: Organisations and individuals who register to participate in the Asbestos Awareness Campaign are provided with a password to access special resources tailored to help them educate their communities. To access these resources please register.

 

For a comprehensive range of images with descriptions of asbestos containing materials, visit the Asbestos Products Database.

‘Betty’ – The Asbestos Education House is the first of her kind in Australia and the world, and is a community engagement and experiential awareness initiative of  Insight Communications for the Asbestos Education Committee.

Betty is a purpose built, mobile model home designed to demonstrate where asbestos might be found in and around any Australian home built or renovated before 1990. Her exterior resembles a typical fibro home but when opened up, she has extensive audio and visual information including a bathroom, kitchen, living room, man shed/garage and a dog house.

Betty’s mission is to educate all Australians about the dangers of asbestos so they think smart, think safe, think asbestosawareness.com.au, because it’s not worth the risk!

Her curators and chauffeurs, Geoff and Karen Wicks, are fully trained volunteers who enable her to educate the community as well as tend to her maintenance and upkeep. Geoff is a retired avionics engineer and avid DIYer!

From 2012 to 2017, Betty visited hundreds of communities around Sydney and regularly toured throughout NSW, primarily exhibiting at community events, council activities and DIY or renovation expos to educate Australians about asbestos dangers. Betty has also toured more

than 65,000 kilometres throughout every state and territory within Australia except WA.

 

Following Betty’s successful tour of Tasmania in 2017, Betty has been off the road since 2018 due to funding cuts. To help save lives, it is hoped that funding will soon be provided to ensure Betty and her dedicated crew can be back on the road spreading the word in the community about the dangers of asbestos and how to manage it safely.

Between November 2012 and December 2017 Betty has:

• Had 244 public appearances
• Held 203 Media Call events
• Been displayed at 51 Bunnings Stores in NSW, Victoria, QLD, SA and NT
• Visited various community events including:
  • The Sydney Royal Easter Show in 2013 and 2015
  • The Sydney Home Show
  • ADFA Memorial Day 2013, 2014 
  • AGQUIP
  • AUSGRID & Endeavour Energy
  • The Ballina Home Show
  • Coffs Harbour Waste Conference
  • Georges River Council’s Oatley Village Festival
  • Hills Shire Council’s Creswood Fair
  • Home and Garden Show Bowral
  • Lithgow Council Annual Safety Day 2014
  • The Living Room
  • Mona Vale Markets
  • NAIDOC Week Events 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017
  • Parramatta Council’s Australia Day Celebrations at Parramatta Park
  • The Royal Agricultural Society’s Camden Show, Parks Show and Condobolin Show
  • Strathfield Spring Fair
  • Tocal Field Days

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To partner with Asbestos Awareness and become a sponsor of Betty and the vehicle that tows her, please contact us to request a Partnership Prospectus.

Betty Physical Stats:

• Weight: 1.42 Tonne
• Towbar Weight: 100kg
• Body Length With Draw Bar: 5.5m Long
• Body Length – Just House: 3.6m Long
• Width: 2.4m Wide
• Height: 2.9m Tall
• Power: 240v – also has her own generator

National Asbestos Awareness Month (1-30 November) is Australia’s leading multi award-winning asbestos awareness and community education campaign in the prevention of asbestos-related diseases.

With asbestos-related diseases continuing to increase among Australians as a direct result of exposure to asbestos fibres during home renovations or in the workplace; the importance of increasing awareness and educating Australians on how to manage asbestos safely in accordance with regulations cannot be overstated.

In 2011, we launched Asbestos Awareness Week in NSW with the first asbestosawareness.com.au website.

The week-long campaign held in the last week of November to coincide with Asbestos Awareness Day, was aimed at increasing awareness of the dangers of asbestos among homeowners and renovators to drive traffic to asbestosawareness.com.au where homeowners could access vital information on how to manage asbestos safely.

 

In 2012, Asbestos Awareness Week was rolled out as Australia’s first integrated national campaign.

The campaign aimed at engaging homeowners and renovators had been hugely successful in increasing the number of Australian’s accessing information on the website. However, research determined that although our week-long campaign continued to gain traction in engaging communities nationally; by extending the campaign to become Asbestos Awareness Month, we would engage a greater number of people to prevent asbestos exposure.

 

In 2013, we launched Australia’s first National Asbestos Awareness Month campaign.

Australia’s first National Asbestos Awareness Month achieved wide-spread awareness of the dangers of asbestos and provided more practical resources to help homeowners and renovators manage asbestos safely.

National Asbestos Awareness Month in the prevention of asbestos-related diseases.

Since 2013, we’ve continued to develop an extensive volume of user-friendly resources for homeowners. We’ve also expanded the scope of the campaign to include tradies, domestic and

commercial property owners and managers, as well as those living and working in regional Australia

 where naturally occurring asbestos exists.

By extending Asbestos Awareness Week to become National Asbestos Awareness Month we increased opportunities to advance community awareness and education in the prevention of asbestos-related diseases.

National Asbestos Awareness Month and asbestosawareness.com.au garners international recognition.

The National Asbestos Awareness Month campaign and asbestosawareness.com.au are internationally acclaimed by academics, researchers, asbestos support groups and industry leaders for continuing to successfully generate wide-spread community awareness of asbestos risks while providing accessible resources for homeowners, renovators, tradespersons and commercial, domestic and rural property owners and managers.  

National Asbestos Awareness Month and COVID-19.

With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, community and workplace participation in National Asbestos Awareness Month has been severely impacted with organisations unable to hold asbestos awareness activities.  Beyond COVID, National Asbestos Awareness Month will continue to actively engage communities and organisations in the prevention of asbestos-related diseases.

To participate in National Asbestos Awareness Month, register here to download free campaign resources.

Asbestos fibres were used widely in thousands of building materials before the mid-1980s. 

• If your home was built or renovated prior to 1987 it is ‘highly likely’ that it contains products incorporating asbestos.
• If your home was built or renovated between 1987 and 1990 it is ‘likely’ that it may contain some asbestos-containing materials.
• However, if your home was built or renovated after 1990 it is ‘unlikely’ that asbestos-containing materials will be present.

You may be surprised at the various types of products that were made from bonded asbestos cement included fibro sheeting (flat and corrugated), water drainage and flue pipes, roofing shingles and guttering – even the backing of vinyl sheet floor coverings.

The Residential Checklist is a visual guide designed to empower homeowners and renovators to develop a better understanding of the possible locations of asbestos containing materials in and around homes, plus the knowledge to manage it safely. This practical guide enables homeowners to conduct a simple, easy to follow visual inspection of their property. By following the easy step-by-step instructions, in under an hour homeowners can have a better understanding of the types of products that might be in their home and if it’s in need of maintenance, repair or removal. Visit the Fact Sheets & Checklists page to access the Residential Checklist and additional pdf downloads.

Asbestos 101 for Residential Property Owners, Managers and Tradies is an educational resource developed for anyone who might do work on residential properties. Developed in accordance with government Work Health and Safety Regulations and Codes of Practice, Asbestos 101 for Residential Property Owners, Managers and Tradies is a comprehensive resource that provides Australians with vital information as to why asbestos is dangerous; the risks of working unsafely with ACMs; the steps to take if they come across materials they suspect may contain asbestos; the safety procedures required for tradies who are working on residential properties; the importance of engaging an occupational hygienist or licenced asbestos assessor to confirm if asbestos is present; and, why it’s vital to only use licenced asbestos removalists to ensure hazardous asbestos materials are removed and disposed of safely in accordance with government regulations.

The use of asbestos was discontinued in all fibro sheets and products by the mid-late-1980s. After this, asbestos continued to be used principally in friction products, for brake and clutch linings. The manufacture and use of asbestos products was banned nationally in Australia from 31 December 2003. However, asbestos is still widely used in some countries. Despite being a prohibited import in Australia, goods containing asbestos are still being located at the Australian border. For more information visit the Australian Border Force website or download the Australian Border Force Fact Sheet on asbestos imports.

The Importance of Safely Managing Asbestos in and Around the Home

• Most people can’t tell whether building materials contain asbestos just by looking at them.
• Unless you take the required safety precautions and follow regulations, Don’t cut it! Don’t drill it! Don’t drop it! Don’t sand it! Don’t saw it! Don’t scrape it! Don’t scrub it! Don’t dismantle it! Don’t tip it! Don’t waterblast it! Don’t demolish it! And whatever you do… Don’t dump it!
• If you do need to work with any material that may contain asbestos, always work so there is minimal dust or small particles released from the asbestos materials. Download Fact Sheet 1 or 2 for instructions on how to do this.
• Only scientific testing of a sample of material by an accredited National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) asbestos testing laboratory can confirm the presence of asbestos. For information on testing and accredited laboratories in your area, call 1800 621 666 or refer to their website at www.nata.com.au. When searching for an asbestos testing facility use a capital A in Asbestos.
• Asbestos materials that are in good condition are unlikely to release asbestos fibres if left undisturbed.
• If asbestos materials are in good condition, paint them and leave them alone.
• For detailed information download the handbook Asbestos – A guide for householders and the general public.
• For important information about working with asbestos read Safe Work Australia’s Model Code of Practice: How to safely remove asbestos July 2020.