WorkSafe is reminding employers and self-employed persons about the regulatory requirements for the use of certain tools or instruments on asbestos-containing materials.
WorkSafe has identified instances among licensed asbestos removal works, where power tools have been used in a non-compliant manner on asbestos-containing materials (ACM). This potentially increases the risk of airborne asbestos fibre release.
Regulation 216 of the OHS Regulations 2017 applies to all employers and self-employed persons. It is also relevant to licensed removalists needing to conduct works including using a power tool to:
- remove asbestos-containing adhesive (sometimes called blackjack or mastic) from floors
- remove asbestos-containing bituminous membrane coating from a building roof
Control measures must ensure the release of airborne asbestos fibres does not exceed one half of the asbestos exposure standard.
Personal atmospheric monitoring is the only method to determine if the airborne asbestos fibre levels, are being exceeded, and must be undertaken by a person with the requisite knowledge, skills and experience.
Employers must ensure appropriate respiratory protective equipment (RPE) is provided, and employees must ensure they are worn as a control measure. The type of RPE selected, and level of protection provided needs to be determined by a person with the requisite knowledge, skills and experience.
An employer or self-employed person must not rely on RPE to ensure that one half of the asbestos exposure standard is not exceeded. For example, protection factors cannot be factored in to determine the results of the atmospheric monitoring.
It is important to note that the results of personal atmospheric monitoring are specifically for the tool or instrument used and the type of asbestos worked on. The results can’t subsequently be used to prove compliance for different tools or instruments, or for different materials.
Atmospheric monitoring results should be readily available and provided to a WorkSafe inspector if requested. It’s important that the results specifically indicate the:
· task being undertaken
· control measures used
· conditions under which monitoring took place
· results of the atmospheric monitoring (ensuring that the duration of monitoring is enough to report at the levels required).
· tool or instrument used during the monitoring period
- asbestos containing material on which it was used
Air monitoring is one of the most important tools for identifying whether workers are being exposed to hazardous substances at dangerous levels, but a monitoring report is only useful if you know how to prepare for it, what to look for, and what to do once you have it.
OHS Reps have created an Air Monitoring Checklist for HSRs that is designed to assist HSRs through every step of the air monitoring process: before the monitoring, assessing whether monitoring was conducted properly, checking that the report meets the standard required for compliance purposes, ensuring results are communicated to all affected workers, and making sure recommendations are acted on with clear timelines and accountability.
Read more: Use of power tools on asbestos | WorkSafe Victoria