Sounds curious to me - I've never heard of asbestos inside cartridge fuses (I thought it was usually sand, and as the cartridge remains sealed even if the fuse element blows, even if there was asbestos in there I can't see it being a significant risk).  Rewirable fuse carriers certainly had a history of asbestos and of course can in some circumstances can be retrofitted with cartridge fuses, so I can imagine that some types of carriers might be suspect even if local knowledge says they contain cartridge fuses (and normally they wouldn't want to open them to check, as that would risk disturbing the fibres and increase the very risk they're trying to control). But as described it does sound muddled. Maybe someone's thinking is sound but it hasn't carried through accurately to the words, or maybe the thinking isn't quite right.

   - Andy.

They are probably misusing the word cartridge, normally meaning the ceramic cylinder with sand and fuse wire or ribbon in , for a rewirable fuse carrier, which may well have a woven asbestos mat to catch the hot bits.  Poor, and if in your case it can cause confusion then I'd ask for clarification/rewording.

Mike.

I was recently given a survey report for an industrial facility wherein some (presumably expired) BS88 fuse links in an LV switchroom left out on a chair where identified as potential ACMs and duly sampled under the description "Paper within loose barrel fuse"...

Obviously nothing detected in the lab.

(They were still there when I visited, on the same chair, over four years later)

They are quite adamant that some old TIA type fuses contained asbestos as an example, with refence to internal millboard packing within the cartridge being the culprit.  As most fuses don't date have a date of manufacture and the asbestos surveyors haven't got an exact list of which fuses contain asbestos. It's a grey area with regards to disposal routes of old fuses.

Some manufactures have confirmed that some of there old fuses may have contained asbestos in the mid to late 70's but again it doesn't really help. As who knows when a fuse was replaced or fitted in an old board.

There is a lot guidance relating to asbestos Fuse boards containing ropes and old flash guards, and to how to deal with those cases. Though a Fuse in itself appears non-existent. 

Blanket ban on asbestos and popular demonising makes no sense at all. It is not like Mercury metal. There's number of crystalline forms and 'behaviours', and obviously, exposure to many of these fibers is creating health risk. Thoroughly tested. With limited use of safe forms or safe handling, it is optimal material in many niche applications. 

Tom,

Asbestos was banned from use in 1999 onwards.

It is because it is a very dangerous material.

My father died in 2010 from Mesothelioma.

I don't think it is an accurate description as "optimal material in many niche applications" when so many people continue to die from contact with it.

The ban was necessary, the only way to protect the population and workers from widespread use of weakly controlled supply of asbestos forms. Even talcum powder can cause mesothelioma. Because of very widespread use, it is more dangerous than chrysolite, which is least dangerous from of asbestos, and not banned just in Russia. Engineering is the art of honest compromise, and exposure to dangerous materials can be reduced, by safeguarding or elimination, whatever makes more sense.  

The map shows in dark colour the countries where asbestos ban is in place.
It does not mean there is no awareness and limits to its use anywhere else. 

Tom Kawala said:

It is not like Mercury metal.

No, it's worse! I don't have a problem with putting a mercury thermometer in my mouth, or taking my blood pressure with a mercury sphygmomanometer. I'd even be happy to have a clock with a mercury pendulum.

I don't have a problem with asbestos lagging, which is in one of my old motor cars. However, I wouldn't take it apart. Not yet, but perhaps when I shall be 80.

In 1968 while working in a chemical works I was with my foreman working on top of a boiler. The foreman said they will not make 40, nodding toward two laggers who were lagging the steam pipes to the boiler. I asked what he meant and he said "the asbestos in the lagging will kill them, laggers never live beyond 40". 

I always thought it strange that this foreman knew the dangers of asbestos in 1968 but it was 1985 before blue and brown asbestos was banned and 1999 before white asbestos was banned. How many more people died during that time.