If breathed in, can cause serious lung diseases, including cancers. The effect on health is not instant but takes years to show itself-usually when exposure has been regular or occupational.
According to HSE figures it can be 15 to 60 years before any signs are noticed and every case is different. It is not a case of one fibre kills but a cumulative build up over time, how much exposure and the individual's susceptibility to the deceases.
The last set of HSE figures tell us that Asbestos related diseases are over 5000 people in the UK each year and is the UK’s biggest workplace killer.