A naturally occurring material, Asbestos is a group of 6 silicon based minerals which have been historically used for their mixture of precious characteristics. Asbestos is made up of microscopic, fibrous crystals which are resistant to heat and chemicals and have huge tensile strength and flexibility. By nature, the material is hazardous and inhalation can cause severe health issues such as lung cancer, Asbestosis and Mesothelioma.

The use of asbestos was first documented by the ancient Greeks; they acknowledged the valuable properties of the substance whilst also being moderately conscious of the hazards. The Greek geographer Strabo noted the remarkable chronic lung damage of slaves who worked with the material, mining it and weaving it into cloth.

Wealthy Persians, Greeks and Romans all used asbestos for garments and tablecloths they would clean using fire, a popular status symbol as some cultures believed the material was made of the fur of a 'Samandar', an animal which lived in fire.

By the 19th century Asbestos had become commercially exploited as it provided many properties unobtainable from other materials. It was used in fireproofing, bricks, pipe insulation and roofing to name a few and its uses were not limited to buildings. Ships were commonly fitted with the material as insulation and fireproofing, particularly during WWII.

Elevated death rates and lung diseases were observed by researchers in the early 1900s, particularly in asbestos mining areas. In the 1930s scientists had officially acknowledged sufferers of 'asbestosis' and 'Mesothelioma' and directly related them to exposure to asbestos.

By the year 2000 all production and use of all kinds of asbestos was banned and by November 2006 the UK government had introduced a strict regulations aimed at minimising contact with the material. The legislations ban the use of the material but also provide strict guidelines on how to manage existing asbestos.