Throughout Melbourne, many buildings and homes are constructed with the presence of asbestos.
The material notes to be harmless while undisturbed, but the moment a hammer strikes a nail, or a drill inserts a screw, or there’s a cut made during a remodeling project, the dust is released into the air and poses a health risk as it’s breathed in.
According to regulatory guidelines concerning buildings used for work purposes, an asbestos register is mandated if asbestos is likely present. This can be presumed prior to 2003 (December 31) for most states or territories before 1989 (December 31) for QLD, no cut-off with Victoria.
Australian state and territory legislature requires business leaders in all workplaces to use this register to identify or presume the presence if inaccessible by a licensed professional.
The register, loosely defined, is a living document meant to responsibly manage the material in conjunction with an AMP- Asbestos Management Plan. Go to https://www.safetyzone.net.au/2014/08/asbestos-management-and-removal-in-victoria/ for details on handling asbestos management and removal.
The document must be current once there’s identification or presumption of the presence on site to actively manage it moving forward. That should include labelling and removing.
Many businesses are non-compliant with the regulations, having either no register or one that is inadequate for the workplace, i.e., using a “compliance or management register for a business based in refurbishing or demolition.”
Without an adequate register, the risk for exposure is high for anyone working in the vicinity of ACM- asbestos-containing material, resulting in an accidental disturbance.
Protecting Your Business: The Importance of Professional Asbestos Removal in Melbourne
Identifying asbestos in the workplace can be challenging since it can’t be recognised by looking at it. The material needs to be tested. Documentation of the existence, or presumed to be, needs to be duly noted in an asbestos register for all businesses. Go here for guidance on understanding and managing asbestos in the workplace.
Exposure is of great concern for business leaders, staff, and commercial and industrial property owners in Melbourne. Asbestos is a hazardous material with an extensive history, posing severe health repercussions for the lungs, including cancers.
Whether the existence is verified or presumed, commercial or industrial property owners and business leaders have an obligation to pursue testing and removal of the substance with licensed asbestos removalists. The specialists responsible for handling asbestos include the following:
· The competent person
This individual is well trained and has years in the industry with specific skills and expertise on asbestos removal best practices. The professional must carry relevant certification to qualify for asbestos assessor licensure.
Alternatively, this person can also have credentials in the occupational health and safety field or a related industry.
· The asbestos assessor
The asbestos assessor has licensure to monitor the air and offer clearance certificates as part of the removal processes.
· The asbestos removal supervisor
When you, as the owner or leader, have a friable asbestos removal to be handled, the removalist must hold a Class A license. In that same vein, a nominated supervisor must be present while the material is removed. The supervisor must also be available when a Class B professional removes non-friable materials.
As the owner or business leader, removing greater than “ten sqm of non-friable asbestos without a license is not permitted.” A licensed professional removalist must remove any friable material and non-friable asbestos above ten sqm.
Only non-friable asbestos under ten sqm can be removed without a license and then with great discretion. The guidelines for proper handling and disposal are in place not only to reduce the risk of exposure but also to protect public health and safety.
What Is Commercial Asbestos Removal in Melbourne
Many buildings constructed prior to 1990 in Melbourne likely have asbestos present. This material is not something that can be readily identified by looking at it; confirmation would need to be obtained through testing.
If you have an undisturbed structure, you can presume the existence of asbestos based on details like ACM- asbestos-containing materials and the dates these would have been used. Whether confirmed or suspected, the objective is to remove it.
Following the laws, the first step is to notify the local asbestos safety regulator. A licensed professional removalist will inspect the site following the report. It’s vital to alert neighbouring buildings for precautionary measures. Removalists typically use signs and barricade the work zone.
It’s up to you to provide a clear exit and that the work area is free of furnishings, personal effects, or clutter. The licensed removal team will contain the work area, often using a “wet seal.”
Any ACMs like insulation will be pulled and treated as hazardous waste. The entire commercial asbestos removal Melbourne will be done following all safety protocols followed by proper disposal techniques. Once the clearance certificate is issued, all personnel can return to that area.
After identifying asbestos, the details should be recorded in the company asbestos register. These details should include “the asbestos location, the time it was found, its condition, and which type of material.” Each person with a connection to the building should have access to the register.
In that same vein, all companies should employ an asbestos management plan whether the asbestos is naturally occurring or manufactured.
Your plan should reference your register, outline emergency procedures and safety protocol, and present training measures for relevant workers to remove asbestos or who handle asbestos-related projects.
Final Thought
As a commercial or industrial property owner or business leader in Melbourne responsible for the health and safety of a staff, it’s essential to “identify, assess/test, seal, remove, transport and properly dispose of suspect material.”
You won’t be able to identify asbestos by merely looking at it, but a licensed assessor can test a disturbed substance to confirm. You can also make an assumption about your building and its materials based on the types of ACM- asbestos-containing materials used and the dates.
In either scenario, whether existing or presumed, a licensed removalist will have the training, credentials, experience, knowledge, and equipment for the safest asbestos removal process and proper disposal.
