Asbestos is a naturally occurring carcinogenic mineral that was manufactured into over 3,000 products and widely used in the construction industry in Australia until 2003. Over time, these products can deteriorate due to natural ageing, weathering, day to day operations, and other environmental factors.

State Regulations (WHS and OHS) require that asbestos is identified on-site, a register prepared, labelled, managed, and removed by a licensed removalist prior to any work likely to damage the asbestos-containing materials (ACM) and prior to demolition or refurbishment.

As the number of licensed asbestos assessors and competent persons across all jurisdictions of Australia increases, some state regulators are paying close attention to the standards of their work. Some of these individuals have had their competency challenged, resulting in prosecutions and/or the requirement for retraining.

Keeping up with asbestos-related challenges in 2021 requires a holistic approach, coming from different industries and perspectives across the country. 

Join representatives from the Australian Border Force (ABF), SafeWork NSW, WorkSafe VIC, Reflections (a charity supporting sufferers of asbestos-related illnesses and their families) and Greencap for a presentation and extended panel discussion.

ABF will be presenting about asbestos border control, with a focus on import prohibition. To support this, information about suggested supply chain risk management for importers is included. The case study is of a 2020 importation of building products found to contain asbestos.

SafeWork NSW was approached by the industry to provide guidance on the increased use of non-destructive digging within asbestos impacted soils. Use of high-pressure water spray on asbestos is banned under Work Health & Safety (WHS) legislation. However, industry is concerned that the use of non-destructive digging trucks, using a high-pressure water lance and vacuum, is under-regulated and occurring regularly around asbestos pipes and within asbestos impacted soils.

Through the Centre for Work Health and Safety, SafeWork NSW is conducting research into potential exposure risks whilst using this equipment in asbestos impacted soils.

Reflections is a not-for-profit focused on increasing awareness of the risk of asbestos in the community and supporting people affected by asbestos-related disease. Jo Morris will share from her personal experience with the asbestos-related cancer, mesothelioma, which led to the establishment of an Australia-wide support network. Jo will also talk about what Reflections are doing to ensure the next generation of tradies are empowered to make potentially life-saving decisions and how we can all work together to reduce the ongoing impact of asbestos.

WorkSafe Victoria will provide a presentation focusing on a regulatory duty to identify asbestos and develop Asbestos Registers for workplaces where asbestos is present. This is consistent with the regulatory requirements in the National Model WHS Regulations, which are adopted by the various WHS/OHS regulators across the country.

WorkSafe Victoria will also identify some common issues relating to Asbestos Registers, competence of those compiling these Registers, and explaining these Registers to persons with management or control, employers and employees, training/awareness, inaccessible areas and labelling.

Greencap representative Claire Howard, Principal Consultant HazMat, will moderate the panel discussion and present important questions for our experts to answer. The audience will also have their chance to have their burning questions answered by our experienced panel.