The health issues recorded in the Western countries in the past and which are being highlighted and debated by the anti-asbestos lobbies relate to extensive and uncontrolled usage of the Blue and Brown varieties of Asbestos fibre.

In the West, owing to the climatic conditions their industrial buildings and houses are kept closed to conserve heat. There, when harmful effects of asbestos were not known, asbestos fibre used to be extensively sprayed on ceilings and structures of industrial buildings and houses for thermal insulation. Friable low-density asbestos insulation boards were also used as inner roof to provide better fire protection. These products consist of asbestos upto 90% in loosely bound form. Such applications exposed workers to uncontrolled inhalation of loose asbestos dust in high concentrations which led to health related problems. Once the ill effects of such applications were realized these were prohibited in these countries. However, old installations, some of them deteriorating with time are a matter of concern to them, bearing in mind that the buildings are closed and have no natural ventilation.

This situation does not apply to India , where warm climatic conditions do not require the use of such insulation products in the buildings. In India, we only use Chrysotile (white) asbestos fibre for the manufacture of asbestos-cement sheets and asbestos-cement pipes which contain a very small quantity of Chrysotile fibre (only 8 –10%) and balance raw material used is cement 55%, fly ash 30 –35% and wood pulp. The asbestos fibres are firmly locked-in or encapsulated within the cement matrix during manufacture so that fibres cannot be emitted into the atmosphere under normal use and thus, poses no health risk to the general public or environment. Several studies abroad have concluded that use of Chrysotile in the manufacture of Asbestos Cement Products under controlled conditions is safe for the workers, environment and the general public.