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Asbestos in the Workplace: Part One

When and Why You Need an Asbestos Register

Did you know, it is a legal requirement that workplaces in Melbourne & Victoria must have an asbestos register on-site and accessible at all times?

The asbestos register is a document that outlines the location, condition and recommendations regarding any asbestos or asbestos containing materials in a workplace. The aim is to reduce the risk of exposure to asbestos fibres that may be caused by maintenance, works, accidental disturbance or deterioration of the asbestos materials.

When it comes to the management of asbestos in your workplace, there are a number of processes and documents that are required to ensure your workplace is compliant with Victorian Work Safe regulations.

Keep reading to learn more about how the asbestos register plays an integral role in the management of asbestos in a workplace.

What is Asbestos?

First up, let’s take it back to the start for a refresher. What exactly is asbestos?

Asbestos is a durable and almost indestructible mineral that is found naturally occurring in rock formations. Asbestos can be broken down into loose fibres, which can be used alone or mixed with other materials such as cement or adhesives to enhance their strength and durability.

In addition to being both strong and durable, asbestos has insulative properties, it is heat resistant, lightweight, abundantly found and affordable. Due to these many benefits, and the versatility of asbestos, it meant that it was used in many different building materials.

Materials that contain asbestos are referred to as Asbestos Containing Materials, or ACM. Asbestos containing materials were commonly used in the construction of all sorts of buildings in Australia, including commercial buildings and properties, workplaces, and residential homes.

To learn more about how asbestos was used and some of the common building materials it was used in, you can read all about it here – ‘Asbestos and your home’.

When and Why was Asbestos Banned?

The use of asbestos was completely banned in Australia on 31^st December 2003, however, use of it in the manufacturing of building materials was significantly reduced in the late 1980s.

Asbestos was banned in Australia as it was found to be the cause of Asbestosis, Lung Cancer and Mesothelioma. Each of these illnesses are caused by the breathing in and/or swallowing of asbestos fibres.

Asbestos fibres are not usually visible to the naked eye, so when they are airborne people may not be aware that they are present and therefore are not aware that they are being exposed to and possibly ingesting them.

Some of the ways asbestos can become airborne is through the deterioration or breakdown of products that contain asbestos, the degradation of natural asbestos deposits or when loose or friable asbestos is disturbed.

If asbestos becomes airborne if can remain airborne for some time and because the fibres are so lightweight, they can travel great distances.

Though asbestos had many positive qualities in the construction industry, these are all outweighed by the illnesses it has been found to cause.

Asbestos Management in the Workplace

Not all buildings in Australia will contain asbestos or ACMs, however, if a commercial building or workplace was constructed prior to 2004, there is a chance that asbestos may be present, even more likely if it was prior to 1990.

While in many instances asbestos in a workplace doesn’t necessarily pose danger to those working in the building, it is a requirement that the presence of asbestos in a workplace is not only known and identified, but a management plan needs to be in place.

If you are the owner or have management control of a commercial building or workplace, you are required to ensure that an Asbestos Register, and an Asbestos Management Plan are in place for your site.

Sometimes people confuse Asbestos Registers and Asbestos Management Plans as being the same thing, however, though they are usually completed around the same time, there are differences between the two.

An asbestos register focuses on documenting where asbestos has been found in a workplace, as well as the type and condition of the asbestos; whereas an asbestos management plan outlines the processes that are in place for dealing with that asbestos.

Today, we’ll focus on the asbestos register. To learn more about the asbestos management plan click here. (link to asbestos management page, update link to blog article once completed).

What is an Asbestos Register?

The asbestos register is a document that outlines the location, type, and condition of identified and/or assumed asbestos and asbestos-containing materials in a building, structure, ship or plant.

The Asbestos Register is required if a building contains any asbestos, in any form. The asbestos is identified during an asbestos inspection, which is required if a building was constructed before 2004.

Though the usage of asbestos materials was significantly reduced during the 1990s, due to the potential stockpile of asbestos containing building materials and the fact that its use wasn’t fully banned yet, there is a still a chance that a building could contain asbestos if constructed prior to 2004.

If asbestos is identified, an asbestos register is needed. Once created, it is an additional requirement that the asbestos register is kept up to date, with an asbestos survey needing to be conducted every 5 years at a minimum.

The register must be kept up to date for a number of reasons including:

Possible structural or layout changes to the workplace may mean the information pertaining to the location of the asbestos may be incorrect.
Accidental disruption of the asbestos may have occurred during maintenance or other activities.
The condition of the asbestos materials may have deteriorated over time, which might increase the risk of exposure for those who are in the workplace regularly.

The register must also be kept on the premises of the building and be easily accessible so that it can be given to workers or contractors who may be conducting maintenance of the building/workplace, or be passed on to new owners or managers of the premises.

What exactly does the Asbestos Register Contain?

The asbestos register will contain the below information at a bare minimum:

The location of asbestos
The date of the identification of the asbestos
The source of any asbestos that is not fixed or installed
The type of asbestos-containing material
Whether the asbestos is friable or non-friable (bonded)
The condition of the asbestos
The likelihood of the asbestos deteriorating or becoming damaged
Identify possible activities that may damage or disturb the asbestos
Include details of inaccessible areas that are likely to contain asbestos

It is important to note that not all asbestos registers are created equal. Keep reading to learn what sets a Greenlight asbestos register apart from the rest.

What is the asbestos register used for?

The purpose of the asbestos register is to reduce the risk of exposure to all occupants of premises containing asbestos. It is particularly important for those conducting works or maintenance of the building to avoid accidental disturbance of any asbestos materials.

The asbestos register is used as a reference guide to the location and condition of the materials. And it should be accessible to anyone who occupies the building, ensuring their reasonable safety is upheld.

When Do you Need an Asbestos Register (and when don’t you)?

If a commercial building or structure was constructed prior to December 31^st, 2003, an asbestos register is required if asbestos materials have been found to be present. In order to identify the asbestos materials, an asbestos survey must be carried out.

The identification of asbestos should be conducted by someone who has strong knowledge and understanding of both asbestos and the practices of the construction and building industries. They will be required to be able to identify asbestos materials in all types of buildings and environments, and will also need to be able to determine the condition of the materials. A professional, tertiary-qualified asbestos inspector is the best person to do this.

Commercial buildings, structures, ships and plants that were constructed from January 1^st, 2004, are not required to have an asbestos register. If a commercial building, structure, ship or plant constructed before 2004 has been proven to not have asbestos-containing materials present, an asbestos register is not required. However, an asbestos survey will have been conducted, and this information should be recorded and kept on the premises.

An asbestos register is not required for residential properties, however, if your property or home was constructed prior to 2004, and renovations are being considered, it is recommended that at the minimum, an asbestos inspection is conducted.

In addition to this, if works on a residential or commercial property is extensive, including refurbishment and/or demolition works, a Division 6 audit is required – as this will allow invasive testing of materials in the property and further ensures the safety of those who will be undertaking the work. Learn more about Division 6 Audits and their requirements here (link to div 6 page).

Who is responsible for the asbestos register?

In the instance of workplaces and commercial properties it is the responsibility of the owner of the workplace to provide an asbestos register. This follows the current Victorian Work Safe Regulations.

There are a few exceptions to these regulations, including:

The lease agreement for the workplace/property states that the tenant is able to make structural changes to the building without the permission of the owner. In this instance, the tenant is responsible for the Asbestos Register.
A third party such as a property manager or an owner’s property management company has been relegated management of the property/workplace. In this instance, both the owner and management company are responsible.

While in most instances it is the owner’s responsibility to ensure an asbestos register exists, tenants of workplaces and commercial properties also have responsibilities surrounding the asbestos register.

The tenant is required to ensure that they have obtained an asbestos register for the property that has been completed within the past 5 years (they are required to be updated every 5 years). Besides obtaining the register, the tenant needs to be aware of and familiarise themselves and any personnel who may interact with tradespeople or workers who will perform works or maintenance on the property.

It is also the tenant’s responsibility to keep the asbestos register in an accessible location on the property and ensure that it is supplied to any contractors who will be working on the site.

The tenant is also required to notify the owner, or manager of any changes to the condition of the asbestos items on site to keep the asbestos register up to date.

Essentially, while the existence of the asbestos register is almost entirely the responsibility of the owner of the property or building, the tenant is responsible for ensuring it is up to date.

Managing the Asbestos in Your Workplace – What Else Do You Need?

When asbestos is present in a workplace, in addition to an up-to-date asbestos register being easily accessible at the workplace, there are a number of other requirements that must be adhered to.

Asbestos Containing Materials must be labelled

The presence and location of asbestos must be clearly indicated, and where possible labelled. This includes materials and areas that are assumed to contain asbestos.

If it is practical and safe to do so, asbestos should be labelled directly. If this cannot be done safely, then labels can be placed adjacent to asbestos, or at the entrance of every building that contains asbestos. If labels are placed at the entrance of a building, these labels should indicate that the asbestos register must be reviewed if works that may disturb the asbestos are to take place.

Asbestos management plan must be created

An asbestos management plan details the asbestos concerns of your workplace, as well as the responsibilities of the different people or groups that may potentially disturb the materials. The details that are included in an asbestos management plan include the following:

Asbestos management issues that are relevant to your site
A hierarchy of control and the obligations of individuals
The responsibilities of contractors working on the site;
General guidelines for asbestos removal works;
Any procedures that must be followed for works associated with asbestos;
Site management tools, including sign-on registers and a place for record-keeping changes to the asbestos register
Asbestos emergency procedures

The asbestos management plan should also include the asbestos register as an appendix. This ensures you have a comprehensive asbestos compliance document.

At Greenlight, it is our recommendation to have your asbestos management plan prepared professionally, not only will it save you time, you can be assured it is being completed by a highly trained and tertiary qualified professional. In addition to this, if your workplace already requires an asbestos inspection and register to be created, an asbestos management plan can usually be created at this time too.

Control the risk

If the risk of exposure to asbestos fibres has been identified, this risk must be controlled by the removal, enclosing or sealing of the asbestos containing materials where possible.

In many workplaces, an asbestos coordinator is appointed to be the point of contact for all asbestos related matters. Some duties of theirs include:

Maintaining the asbestos register
Being aware of the risks associated with the presence of asbestos
Implementation of actions that are required to control the asbestos risk exposure
Acting as the point of contact for contractors/tradespeople/workers who may be undertaking works on the premises
Ensure the asbestos register is reviewed prior to any works or refurbishments of the building
Facilitating or conducting regular inspections of the workplace and recording in the asbestos register
Notifying the manager or owner of the workplace of any changes to the condition or location of asbestos materials in the building
Ensuring procedures are in place in case of disturbance to the asbestos materials.

The asbestos management plan will facilitate controlling the risk of exposure to asbestos fibres.

view of greenlight asbestos inspector taking images of home

The Greenlight difference

At Greenlight our aim is to provide you with an asbestos register and report that is not only easy to understand but is comprehensive and represents world’s best practice.

As part of our asbestos inspection report, we will include important information for your workplace, including colour coded entries of what is and is not asbestos containing. The purpose of the colour coding is to be able to identify the asbestos risk or safety of the identified materials. Each entry will also include in-line photos of the entry location to allow easy identification, as well as a risk assessment and recommendation. We include this information for every asbestos item to remove any confusion surrounding the location of the materials, the recommendations for the materials and any risk associated with these materials.

Our risk assessment process uses an algorithm where essentially each aspect of the material that is being tested is assigned a number that represents the risk of each aspect. Some the aspects that are considered include the surface treatment, friability, material type, and asbestos type. This means that each individual item that is tested can have its overall risk presented.

We can then use the risk of each individual item comparatively against all others, to understand the risk the items and the site overall, and be able to determine a priority rating for each item. This allows you to be able to identify which items require action, and in which order.

Risk assessments are not always carried out by asbestos inspection companies, and our comprehensive process is second to none.

In addition to providing thorough information regarding the location of asbestos containing materials in a workplace, we also include records of non-asbestos materials in the workplace. We do this for a couple of reasons. First, to remove any confusion around items that may present similar visually to asbestos containing materials. The second reason is to highlight areas/rooms that are found to be free of asbestos to ensure you know whether you can perform works or maintenance such as drilling. This way you can be thoroughly assured of the safety of anyone who occupies or performs works at your workplace.

Like we said earlier, not all asbestos registers are created equal. In our years of experience we have frequently found poorly prepared asbestos registers that are not in keeping with current regulations, or have missed asbestos items all together. It is important that you work with a qualified organisation to ensure your workplace is compliant with all current regulations thus ensuring the health and safety of anyone who will be on site.

At Greenlight Environmental Services we perform a wide variety of occupational hygiene safety services to ensure that we can provide you with an understanding of the presence of asbestos in your workplace or home, so you can make informed decisions when it comes to your workplace, site or home.