Whale’s response, below, is pretty comprehensive but I just wanted to add a yarn I heard recently about a smartypants chairman who got his handyman mate to put extra locks on fire doors (!?!?). When a resident who works for WorkCover noticed telltale blue dust on the floor, the building was evacuated while asbestos clean-up workers – gas masks and safety suits, the works – tried to make the building safe.
That was told to me by my good friend Chris Mo’ane of Integrated Consulting. If you are looking for professional advice on how to identify and deal with asbestos in your building, you need look no further than our old friends Integrated on http://www.ibc.net.au