Asbestos Awareness
reg 36
Why it matters
Any building from before the late 1980s can hold asbestos, and plenty from the 1990s too: fibro sheet, eaves, vinyl, pipe lagging, fences. Disturbing it releases fibres that cause fatal disease decades later. If you are not sure what a material is, treat it as asbestos and stop. This talk is about knowing when to stop, not how to remove it.
Hazards
- ⚠ Cutting, drilling, or breaking fibro and other asbestos-containing materials
- ⚠ Assuming a material is safe without checking the register or a sample
- ⚠ Renovation and demolition disturbing hidden asbestos
- ⚠ Fibres carried home on clothing and tools
- ⚠ Unlicensed removal beyond the small amounts the law allows
Controls and safe practices
- ✓ Check the asbestos register before any demolition or renovation work, and apply the hierarchy of controls (reg 36).
- ✓ If a material might be asbestos, stop work and confirm by sampling or assume it is asbestos.
- ✓ Never cut, grind, drill, or water-blast suspected asbestos.
- ✓ Licensed asbestos removal is required beyond minor quantities; this is not a job to improvise.
- ✓ Keep others clear, and do not carry contaminated clothing or tools off site.
- ✓ Report any suspected disturbance to the supervisor immediately.
Crew discussion questions
- What is the age of this building, and is there an asbestos register?
- Which materials here are we unsure about?
- What do we do the moment we suspect asbestos?
- Who holds the removal licence if it is needed?
Applicable WHS citations
reg 36
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