Asbestos

One of the more disturbing features of surveying in the 1980s is the ever‐increasing number of building materials, structural systems and working practices that have been labelled ‘hazardous’ or ‘unhealthy’. Although consumerism and melo‐dramatic media coverage have fuelled much of this, it must not be forgotten that business interests may be behind many of the campaigns: allowing disinformation or exaggeration to discredit competitors. Fortunes have been made by some firms from exploiting the public's fears and offering specialist remedies covered by dubious guarantees.