As a result of the health risks associated with certain exposure conditions, today asbestos is one of the most stringently regulated substances in the world. While a small number of countries have introduced bans or partial bans of asbestos and asbestos-based products, the vast majority subscribe to the controlled-use approach, the principles of which are described in the International Labour Organization's Convention 162, Safety in the use of Asbestos. The trend amongst most regulatory regimes today is also towards a complete ban of the commercial forms of amphibole asbestos (crocidolite and amosite) and low density friable products - but the continued use of chrysotile in products where the fibre is locked into a cementitious or resinous matrix.
Growing concerns over the health and safety risks of other natural and man-made fibres is resulting in increasingly stringent regulation of many of these substances. In fact, the need to evaluate the comparative risks of these materials was cited as one of the principle reasons why the U.S. Courts overturned the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) ban on asbestos products. A more detailed analysis of the regulatory environments for asbestos and other natural and man-made fibres is presented in Module 9.