Finally, Australia will have uniform asbestos regulations to ensure consistency for workers involved in asbestos removal, thanks to the new Work Health and Safety (WHS) Asbestos Regulations.
Up until now, differences in training requirements between Australian states and territories have created problems in asbestos cleanup projects, such as the aftermath of the Queensland floods and the bushfires in Victoria.
The new Asbestos Regulations detail the requirements for asbestos assessors, asbestos removalists and supervisors, as well as licensing and training obligations across Australia, including Queensland, Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania, Western Australia, Northern Territory and ACT.
The Asbestos Regulations separate all Australian businesses in the asbestos industry into two types of licenses: Class A and Class B. Class A allows asbestos removalists to remove all types of asbestos, while removalists under the Class B license are only permitted to remove non-friable asbestos.
Friable asbestos is any asbestos material that can be crumbled or crushed by hand pressure into powder form, allowing asbestos fibres to become airborne and potentially be inhaled by humans. Non-friable asbestos includes all other asbestos materials where the asbestos fibres are bonded by cement, vinyl, resin or other materials. However, even non-friable asbestos can become friable if broken or damaged.
Exposure to asbestos is extremely dangerous as it can cause asbestos related conditions such as asbestosis and mesothelioma. Asbestos removalists need to take care when removing asbestos. The removal of asbestos is important to ensure mesothelioma in Australia and asbestosis in Australia is reduced. The new Asbestos Regulations are important to ensure that asbestos is removed safely across Australia and to reduce rates of mesothelioma and other asbestos related conditions.
