These integral parts of the braking system were manufactured with the use of asbestos fibers, as the expenses were greatly cut due to the asbestos' low cost. The properties of asbestos made the brake pads sustain prolonged damage from friction and heat.
As most asbestos-containing automotive parts, the brake pads are considered to have been one of the main asbestos exposure causes. As the brake system required maintenance, mechanics first had to clean these parts. Unfortunately, many used compressed air, causing the microscopic asbestos particles to spread around them. You could have been exposed if: