Cut and tailored into apparel or items for occupations that required protection from fire, hot materials (eg metals) and radiant heat.
Used extensively during the Second World War where it became generally well known.
May be white or covered with an outer insulating material
Brands/products
Henness Safety Equipment
Bell’s Asbestos & Engineering
Years of production/use
Prior to around 1980
Residential uses
–
Industrial uses
Firefighting suits and equipment, protective blankets, welding apparel/gloves, military, gloves for bakeries and kitchens, maritime crew use.
Be aware
Woven asbestos garments, gloves etc, depending on their manufactured quality, age, previous use and subsequent damage/degradation, can have exposed asbestos fibres.
Woven asbestos textile adapted as mittens for use in a Sydney bakery 1957 – State Library WA
ACM shield for fire fighting – Darwin 1943 – AWM
Air Raid Precautions incendiary bomb-smothering mattress 1940s – SLNSW
Asbestos heat-resistant gloves 1950 – AWM
Fire Proximity Suits 1940s-1960s,
State Library of Victoria
Fire Proximity Suits 1940s-1960s,
State Library of Victoria
Fire Proximity Suits 1940s-1960s,
State Library of Victoria
Fire proximity suits and asbestos blanket 1940s-1960s – State Library of Victoria