Bad Dust: A History of the Asbestos Disaster

Asbestos was once known as the “magic mineral.” Cheap,

versatile, and tough, it was used in a wide range of industrial and consumer

products, from fireproofing spray on warships, to insulation panels in

high-rise towers, to tablecloths and ironing board covers. But from the dawn of

the industry in the late 1800s, it was apparent that asbestos dust was

particularly harmful to workers’ lungs. Later, it became clear that even

trivial exposure can cause incurable cancers.

Bad Dust traces a history of the asbestos disaster

and shows how the material became so deeply interwoven with the functions of

the British state. The first half of the book examines the mining of the

mineral in apartheid South Africa, its manufacturing in the North of England,

and its use on the shipyards and building sites of Glasgow. The second half of

the book then explores the development of a coherent anti-asbestos movement from

the late 1970s. Arrayed against a powerful industry, and against parts of the

trade union movement, anti-asbestos groups fought for a ban on the material.

Asbestos was used extensively in schools,

hospitals, and housing built in the post-war period. The banning of the

material twenty-five years ago was not accompanied by a coordinated removal programme—much

of it remains in place, slowing degrading and placing us all at risk. Far from

a problem solved, Bad Dust shows that the asbestos disaster has really only

just begun.