Following the observation by WorkSafe inspectors of employees in a number of workplaces unknowingly disturbing and spreading friable asbestos, WorkSafe has issued a Safety Alert reminding employers that they must maintain and provide asbestos registers in workplaces that contain asbestos. The employees observed by the inspectors were unaware that asbestos was present because their employers had failed to provide and maintain a register as a part of a broader management system to control the risks of asbestos exposure.
When disturbed, asbestos-containing materials can release airborne asbestos fibres. If inhaled, airborne asbestos fibres can cause serious medical conditions, including mesothelioma, asbestosis and lung cancer, leading to impaired quality of life and death.
Under the OHS Act and OHS Regulations there are duties and requirements for:
- managing asbestos in workplaces
- working with asbestos
- removing asbestos
A person who manages or controls a workplace must, so far as is reasonably practicable, eliminate the exposure of persons at the workplace to airborne asbestos fibres. If it is not reasonably practicable to eliminate that exposure, they must reduce that exposure so far as is reasonably practicable.
To control the risk of exposure to asbestos, persons with management or control of a workplace should engage a suitably competent person to identify any asbestos that may be present in the workplace. When asbestos is identified, persons with management or control of a workplace must:
- Record the location of the asbestos in an asbestos register
- Introduce controls where a risk from the asbestos containing material is identified
- Provide information, instruction, training or supervision about:
- the hazards associated with asbestos and the potential risk to health based on the particular circumstances at the workplace
- risk control measures (including safety procedures) to be used
- the reasons for the risk control measures
- how the risk control measures are to be used and maintained
- the method of indicating the presence and location of asbestos, including any labelling system
- the right of employees to have access to the asbestos register
Employers are required to review their asbestos register before any demolition or refurbishment works, hand over the register to the person doing the demolition or refurbishment and ensure that the register adequate information to allow the person doing the work to effectively manage the risks from asbestos.
Employers can learn more about asbestos registers at More information about asbestos registers | WorkSafe Victoria, and more about their duties in relation to asbestos in their workplace in the WorkSafe publications Compliance code: Managing asbestos in workplaces and Compliance code: Removing asbestos in workplaces.
Read more: Use asbestos registers to help keep workplaces safe | WorkSafe Victoria