A national ban on the importation, storage, supply, sale, installation or re-use of any product containing asbestos was introduced in December 2003.
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY REGULATIONS 2017 - Part 4.4 Asbestos
The new OHS regulations came into effect in Victoria on July 18, 2017.
The Regulations cover in situ asbestos, demolition and refurbishment. They also cover asbestos dust. They impose responsibilities and duties on employers, occupiers, self-employed people, designers, manufacturers, importers, suppliers and employees. In addition, the regulations cover a number of asbestos-related activities that are carried out in workplaces.
The Regulations ban the use of all forms of asbestos in all work processes (although there are a number of exemptions). Click here for a summary of the regulations.
There are two Compliance Codes for Asbestos which were approved by the Minister for Finance, Robin Scott, effective October 4, 2018. These were amended in December 2019:
- Managing asbestos in workplaces compliance code and
- Removing asbestos in workplaces compliance code.
The Exposure Standard
The Exposure Standard sets out the time weighted average fibre concentration in the air breathed by a worker calculated over an eight hour working shift. It is now 0.1 fibre/millilitre of air for all forms of asbestos, in all circumstances.
Summary of Part 4.4 Asbestos of the Regulations
See also:
- WorkSafe topic webpage on Asbestos
Last updated March 2020
More Information
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Asbestos removalists - how can I find a suitable one?
Check the regularly updated VTHC Recognised Asbestos Removalist list
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Asbestos - what is it?
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Asbestos Action Plan for Reps
If you do find asbestos in your workplace, what should you do?
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Checklist for your employer's duty to manage asbestos
This checklist is a guide to the key issues OHS Representatives should be asking about, and the responses they should get.
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Asbestos - useful websites and documents
There are many other sources of information on asbestos and asbestos related diseases..
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Asbestos Disease Support Groups
Details of asbestos disease support and advocacy groups which provide information and advice.