This guidance is for anyone interested in the history of asbestos in New Zealand and the diseases it can cause.

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Asbestos in Aotearoa New Zealand (PDF 699 KB)

1.0 Introduction

Who is this guidance for?

This guidance is for anyone interested in the history of asbestos in New Zealand and the diseases it can cause.

This might include anyone that:

• works on or near asbestos
• lives with someone that works on or near asbestos
• may have asbestos in their home or on their property
• provides health and safety advice about asbestos.

What is asbestos?

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that is made up of tiny fibres. There are six types of asbestos (Figure 1).

If asbestos is disturbed, it can release fibres into the air. These fibres can get stuck in the lungs and cause disease.

All forms of asbestos are harmful to humans. Any type of asbestos fibre can be inhaled and get stuck in the lungs.

All types of asbestos should be treated with caution.

Open larger image

Text alternative for Figure 1

Image shows a diagram with information about the types of asbestos. The asbestos types are spread across two groups – the serpentine group and the amphibole group.

Serpentine group:

• Chrysotile (white asbestos) is the only type of asbestos in the serpentine group.
• Under a microscope, it has a long, curly, flexible structure.

Amphibole group:

• There are five types of asbestos in the amphibole group:
  • Amosite, or grunerite, (brown asbestos)
  • Crocidolite, or riebeckite (blue asbestos)
  • Tremolite
  • Actinolite
  • Anthophyllite
• Under a microscope, they have sharp, thin, needle-like structures.
   

What was asbestos used for?

Asbestos is resistant to heat, fire and chemicals, and does not conduct electricity. For these reasons, asbestos was used widely in many industries, including construction, manufacturing, and textiles. It was a popular material for a lot of products, such as:

• cement cladding and roofing
• floor tiles and vinyl sheeting
• insulation board
• textured ceilings and sprayed-on wall surfaces
• insulation around pipes, heaters, and hot water cylinders
• vehicle brakes and clutches
• textiles.

Why is asbestos still a problem in Aotearoa?

It became illegal to import blue and brown asbestos into Aotearoa in its raw form from 1984. Then in 2016, it became illegal to import asbestos-containing products into Aotearoa.

But just because we stopped using asbestos, does not mean the problem went away.

This is because asbestos was used in construction for many years. Any building built or renovated before 2000 could contain asbestos. For buildings that were built after 1 January 2000, the risk of asbestos material being present is lower.

Even if the original part of a building does not contain asbestos, newer parts might. For example, if an extension was added or if a building was refurbished before 2000, those parts might contain asbestos.

Asbestos can also be found underground, in soil, and in landfill.

Many buildings and structures in Aotearoa that contain asbestos are getting old. That means there is a high risk of people coming into contact with asbestos when they do repair or renovation work. Even people who live or work in these buildings could be at risk, especially if the building gets damaged in some way.

Who is most at risk of asbestos exposure?

Everyone is exposed to asbestos at some time during their life. Low levels of asbestos fibres are in the air, water, and soil.

People who become ill from asbestos are usually people who are exposed to it regularly. The health risks increase when:

• more asbestos fibres are inhaled
• exposure to asbestos happens more often
• exposure happens over a long period of time.

People who have jobs where they work directly with asbestos material are at higher risk of becoming ill from asbestos.

People are also at higher risk of becoming ill from asbestos if their job involves working near asbestos material. Even if there is no planned physical contact with asbestos material, asbestos material can be accidentally disturbed by activities like maintenance, installations, and renovations.

Who else is at risk of asbestos exposure?

It is not just workers who are at risk from asbestos.

Secondary asbestos exposure means coming into contact with asbestos without working with it directly. It happens when someone who works with asbestos brings it back to their home, usually without knowing about it.

Asbestos fibres are not easy to get rid of. If a worker brings asbestos fibres into their home, the fibres can stay stuck in fabric (like sofas and carpets) for many years.

Asbestos is also very difficult to wash away. You should not try to wash asbestos fibres out of clothing using a domestic washing machine. If clothes or other fabrics are contaminated (or possibly contaminated) with asbestos fibres, you should dispose of them instead of washing them.

2.0 Diseases caused by asbestos

What happens when you inhale asbestos fibres?

Asbestos fibres are too small to be seen with the naked eye. Even if you cannot see any particles in the air, asbestos fibres may still be present.

When you breathe in through your mouth or nose, these tiny asbestos fibres can enter the body (Figure 2). From there, they travel down into the lungs.

Because asbestos fibres are so small and sharp, they can get stuck in the lung tissue. They can cause inflammation, scarring, and the growth of cancer cells.

Preventing asbestos exposure is the most effective way to reduce the risk of asbestos causing an asbestos-related disease.

What are asbestos-related diseases?

The most common diseases caused by asbestos are mesothelioma and asbestosis, but asbestos can also cause other diseases (Figure 3).

The diseases caused by asbestos can be split into two groups:

• diseases that are malignant (sometimes called ‘cancerous’)
• diseases that are non-malignant (sometimes called ‘benign’).

Open larger image

Text alternative for Figure 3

Image shows a diagram with information about asbestos-related diseases. The diseases are spread across two groups – malignant diseases and non-malignant (benign) diseases.

Malignant diseases:

• Malignant diseases are caused by cancerous growths.
• These can grow quickly, invade other tissue, and spread to other parts of the body.
• Examples include:
  • Mesothelioma
  • Lung cancer
  • Other cancers

Non-malignant (benign) diseases:

• Benign diseases are caused by non-cancerous growths or changes in and around the lungs (like scarring or fluid build-up).
• These diseases usually develop slowly and do not spread to other parts of the body.
• Examples include:
  • Asbestosis
  • Diffuse pleural thickening
  • Pleural effusions
  • Pleural plaques
  • Peritoneal effusions
  • Pericardial effusions

What is mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer that affects the lining of vital organs. It can affect the lining of the lungs, stomach, heart, and other organs. Mesothelioma can be caused by inhaling asbestos fibres.

Most cases of mesothelioma are caused by exposure to asbestos.

Mesothelioma can take a long time to develop – it can be many years after exposure to asbestos before symptoms start.

Symptoms of mesothelioma include:

• chest pain
• difficulty breathing
• a cough that does not go away.

The early symptoms of mesothelioma are usually mild, so most people do not seek medical help until the disease is in its later stages.

After being diagnosed, most people with mesothelioma will only have about a year left to live. When the disease is advanced, treatment options can be more limited, so the survival rate for mesothelioma is low.

Mesothelioma is usually treated with a combination of surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy.

What is lung cancer?

While mesothelioma mainly affects the lining of organs (for example, the lungs), lung cancer affects the lung tissue itself. Lung cancer can take many years to develop but can quickly spread to other parts of the body.

The risk of developing lung cancer increases with higher levels of asbestos exposure. The risk is even higher for people who smoke or used to smoke.

The symptoms of lung cancer can be similar to other lung diseases, so it can be difficult to find early. Symptoms can include:

• a cough that does not go away
• chest pain or shoulder pain
• coughing up blood
• often having lung infections (like bronchitis or pneumonia)
• weight loss that you cannot explain.

Treatments for lung cancer can include surgery to remove affected parts of the lung, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or a combination of these.

What other cancers can asbestos cause?

Asbestos fibres can cause disease in other parts of the body outside of the lungs.

Asbestos exposure has been linked to cancer in other organs, including:

• ovarian cancer (cancer in the ovaries)
• laryngeal cancer (cancer in the larynx, sometimes called the voice box)
• bile duct cancer (cancer in the tube that connects the gall bladder to the liver and small intestine).

What is asbestosis?

Asbestosis is a lung disease caused by exposure to asbestos fibres. It is chronic, which means that it is long term and tends to get worse over time. Asbestos fibres cause scarring in the lung tissue, which makes the lungs stiff and less flexible. This makes it harder to breathe.

Unlike mesothelioma and lung cancer, asbestosis is not a form of cancer, but it is still a serious health problem.

Asbestosis usually takes many years to develop, sometimes even decades after the initial exposure to asbestos.

Symptoms of asbestosis can include:

• difficulty breathing, which usually gets worse over time
• a persistent, dry cough
• chest tightness or chest pain
• swelling of the fingertips (sometimes called ‘clubbing’).

Asbestosis cannot be cured, but treatments can help to control the symptoms. These treatments can include:

• oxygen therapy to help with breathing
• medicines to thin the mucus in the lungs
• physiotherapy to help clear the lungs.

3.0 History of asbestos in Aotearoa

Asbestos was used widely for most of the 20th century. For some of that time, its risks were not well known.

Nowadays, we know more about the risks of asbestos and regulations are in place to protect people’s health and safety.

Many different people and groups have played a part in improving how asbestos is managed in Aotearoa, including government agencies, unions, charities, and individuals affected by asbestos.

‘Timeline of asbestos in Aotearoa’ below shows some of the important dates that led to changes in how asbestos is managed in Aotearoa.

Timeline of asbestos in Aotearoa (PDF 35 KB)

Figure 4: Timeline of asbestos in Aotearoa

4.0 Legislation that relates to asbestos management

The Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 (HSWA)

The Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 (HSWA) is Aotearoa’s key work health and safety legislation.

Under HSWA are different sets of regulations (Figure 5). Each set of regulations covers a specific area or industry. Regulations provide more detailed rules for situations or hazards. For example, there are specific regulations for working with asbestos and working with hazardous substances.

HSWA sets out principles, duties, and offences relating to work health and safety.

One of the purposes of HSWA is to protect workers and others against harm to their health, safety, and wellbeing by eliminating or minimising risks at work.

HSWA ensures that everyone has a role to play in keeping people healthy and safe at work.

Duty holders under HSWA

A duty holder is a person who has a duty under HSWA. There are four types of duty holders (Table 1).

Duty holder	Details
PCBU	A PCBU is a ‘person conducting a business or undertaking’. A PCBU may be an individual person or an organisation. PCBUs have the primary responsibility for the health and safety of their workers while at work and any other workers they influence or direct while carrying out the work. They are also responsible for the health and safety of people at risk from their work.
Officer	An officer is a person who has significant influence over the management of a business (for example, company directors, partners, board members, and chief executives). Officers must exercise due diligence to make sure the PCBU complies with its duties and obligations under HSWA.
Worker	A worker is an individual who carries out work in any capacity for a PCBU. Workers must take reasonable care for their own health and safety and that their actions (or failure to act) do not put the health and safety of others at risk. Workers can be at any level of the PCBU (for example, managers are workers too).
Other persons	Examples of other persons at workplaces include workplace visitors and casual volunteers at workplaces. Other persons in the workplace have a duty to take reasonable care for their own health and safety and that their actions (or failure to act) do not put the health and safety of others at risk.
Table 1: Duty holders under HSWA

You can find more detailed information about HSWA in our special guide Introduction to the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015

Health and Safety at Work (Asbestos) Regulations 2016 (Asbestos Regulations)

The Asbestos Regulations sit under HSWA and specify how to manage asbestos risks.

PCBUs must manage asbestos risks to protect the health and safety of their workers and other people. This applies to:

• PCBUs that that carry out work involving asbestos
• PCBUs that own or manage workplaces that have asbestos in them.

Work involving asbestos

The Asbestos Regulations generally prohibits PCBUs carrying out, or directing or allowing a worker to carry out, work involving asbestos.

It is only legal to work with asbestos in some specific circumstances. Examples of when it is legal to work with asbestos include:

• if asbestos needs to be removed or disposed of
• if asbestos needs to be sampled to identify it
• if maintenance or corrective actions are needed to be done on asbestos to reduce risk (for example, encapsulating or sealing asbestos material)
• for research or analysis
• in an emergency.

The Asbestos Regulations impose a number of duties on PCBUs that work on or near asbestos to ensure they manage the risks to keep people healthy and safe.

Licences

The Asbestos Regulations brought in a licensing system for certain tasks that involve working with asbestos.

Some tasks that involve working with asbestos can only be done by licenced PCBUs. These include tasks like:

• removing large amounts of asbestos, or
• work that involves a high risk of asbestos fibres being released into the air.

To get a licence, PCBUs must show they have the knowledge, skills, and equipment needed to work safely with asbestos. Licences need to be renewed regularly to make sure that operators continue to meet the necessary health and safety standards.

A licence is also required to be an asbestos assessor. An asbestos assessor provides air quality monitoring during removal work, inspects the finished job, and provides a clearance certificate.

Find more detailed information about licensing

Asbestos fibres in the air at workplaces

Every PCBU must make sure the amount of asbestos in the air at a workplace does not go over a certain limit.

The limit of asbestos fibres in the air applies to all workplaces except enclosures used for asbestos removal work (when certain control measures are in place to minimise the risk of exposure to asbestos).

The Asbestos Regulations require that PCBUs:

• eliminate the risk of exposure to asbestos fibres in the air so far as is reasonably practicable
• minimise the risk of exposure to asbestos fibres in the air if it is not reasonably practicable to eliminate the risk
• make sure that the airborne contamination standard for asbestos is not exceeded at the workplace.

Health and Safety at Work (General Risk and Workplace Management) Regulations 2016 (GRWM Regulations)

The GRWM Regulations sit under HSWA. They set further specific duties on PCBUs.

The GRWM Regulations set out a risk management process for substances that are hazardous to health. They cover specific areas, including:

• workplaces and workplace facilities
• information, instruction, training, and supervision
• personal protective equipment (PPE)
• monitoring worker exposure and worker health
• first aid equipment, facilities, and first aiders
• emergency plans
• young workers and young people at workplaces.

Find more detailed information about the GRWM Regulations

Health and Safety at Work (Worker Engagement, Participation and Representation) Regulations 2016 (WEPR Regulations)

The WEPR Regulations also sit under HSWA.

Workers often have the detailed knowledge and experience of how work is done and how it affects them. This means worker engagement, participation and representation are important for any well-functioning work health and safety system.

The WEPR Regulations are about making sure workers are involved in decisions about health and safety. They require PCBUs to engage and consult with workers that are directly affected by a health and safety matter.

The WEPR Regulations cover areas that include:

• involving workers in identifying and assessing hazards
• involving workers in risk management
• Health and Safety Representatives
• Health and Safety Committees
• Health and Safety Representative training.

Find more detailed information about worker engagement, participation and representation

5.0 More information

Find more information about the management of asbestos in workplaces

Importing asbestos containing products

The importation ban has been put in place by the Imports and Exports (Asbestos-containing Products) Prohibition Order 2016(external link), made under the Imports and Exports (Restrictions) Act 1988.

Information on the prohibition and how to apply for a permit(external link)