Asbestos SWMS
Updated 14 July 2026
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An asbestos SWMS is a Safe Work Method Statement required before construction work carried out in an area where asbestos is present or likely to be disturbed, which is high risk construction work under reg 291 of the WHS Regulations. It must set out how asbestos is identified before work starts (the asbestos register), how disturbance is prevented or contained, the PPE and respiratory protection used, decontamination, and waste disposal. Removal itself is licensed work above the thresholds: Class A for friable asbestos, Class B for 10 square metres or more of non-friable asbestos.
When an asbestos SWMS is required
The trigger is construction work in an area where asbestos is present or likely to be disturbed: drilling into old sheeting, cutting into walls or eaves in a pre-1990 building, removing flooring over asbestos-backed vinyl, or demolition and refurbishment where the register shows asbestos-containing material. You need the SWMS before the work starts even when you are not the one removing the asbestos, because working near it is the high risk category.
Who is allowed to remove asbestos
The thresholds are consistent across the harmonised states. Check your state regulator for the licensing process itself, and remember that licensed removal work carries its own planning and notification duties on top of the SWMS.
| Situation | Licence needed | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Friable asbestos (crumbles by hand pressure) | Class A licensed removalist | Class A holders can also do Class B work |
| 10 square metres or more of non-friable asbestos | Class B licensed removalist | Includes associated dust and debris |
| Under 10 square metres of non-friable asbestos | No licence required | Safe work procedures still apply, and this SWMS is where they live |
What the SWMS must cover
- ✓ The asbestos register or a competent assessment of the area, checked and referenced before work starts
- ✓ How disturbance is avoided, or contained where the work must proceed: wet methods, hand tools over power tools, no cutting with abrasive discs
- ✓ Respiratory protection and disposable coveralls matched to the task
- ✓ Barricading and signage isolating the work area from other trades
- ✓ Decontamination of workers, tools, and the area when the task ends
- ✓ Double-bagged, labelled waste disposed of at a licensed facility
- ✓ The unexpected-finds rule: stop, isolate, and reassess if suspect material turns up mid-job
Why asbestos SWMS get knocked back
Reviewers reject asbestos SWMS that never mention the register, describe power-tool methods on asbestos-containing material, or claim unlicensed removal for areas that are plainly over 10 square metres. The other common failure is silence on waste: a method that ends at "remove sheeting" with no bagging, labelling, or disposal route reads as unfinished. SWMS Pack prompts for the register status, the material, and the extent, and writes the controls in the right order.
Common questions
▸Can I remove asbestos without a licence?
Only non-friable asbestos under 10 square metres, and only with safe work procedures in place. Anything friable is Class A licensed work at any quantity, and 10 square metres or more of non-friable material is Class B licensed work.
▸Do I need an asbestos SWMS if a licensed removalist is doing the removal?
The removalist covers their own work, but if your crew is doing construction work in the area before or after removal, or near material that stays in place, your work is still in the high risk category and needs its own SWMS.
▸Does a SWMS replace the removalist paperwork?
No. Licensed removal work has additional planning and notification duties that sit with the licensed removalist. The SWMS covers the construction work and the crew doing it.
▸How fast can I get an asbestos SWMS?
About 10 minutes of questions, then it is generated, verified against your state legislation, and emailed to you, site-specific, for A$39.
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