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| Asbestos
Registers |
Why You need to have an Asbestos Register
In April 1991, the Occupational Health, Safety
and Welfare Act (1986) was amended and new regulations were consolidated
into the OHS&W regulations 1995, in particular Division 4.2.10.
Building owners, managers, and other persons
in possession of asbestos must take
reasonable steps to:
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identify asbestos installed
in the building (or on plant) and…
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assess its stability
(i.e. how significant is the health risk?), then…
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the building owner or
manager must establish policies and procedures to prevent
(or minimise) exposure to anyone who might come into the vicinity
of the asbestos, then…
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record the type, condition
and location of the asbestos in a register, then
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check the condition of
the asbestos at least annually and…
give a copy of the register (and a copy of any alterations made
to the register)
to the occupier(s) of the building.
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Above: Our Asbestos
Register
- for ease of recognition
Right: A register drawing
- for ease of location of asbestos contaning products
Below: Part of a Register Location
Schedule - with photographs for ease of identification of
products
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What is the purpose
of an Asbestos Register?
The purpose of the Asbestos Register is
to take reasonable steps to identify the type,
condition and location of any Asbestos Containing Material on
the property, in the building or in plant
and equipment, so as to prevent (or at least minimise) the potential
for anyone working in
or on the site to be exposed to asbestos dust/fibres. This is
done by surveying materials
used in the construction of the building and plant, including
checking for what is held on the
property as debris, redundant stock, and equipment. Under the
regulations, a competent
person must survey the subject property in order to provide the
relevant data to be
recorded in the Asbestos Register.
Who uses an
Asbestos Register?
The regulations require that the Asbestos
Register is to be made available to all tenants,
occupiers, contractors or any other person who may at any time
encounter the Asbestos
containing materials. In particular, the Asbestos Register must
be made available for
inspection by statutory or authoritive bodies who may impose penalties
for failure to
properly implement and maintain the Asbestos Register and safe
working environment
policies.
What happens if I don't have an Asbestos
Register?
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You run the risk of
being fined up to $10,000 per property, by SafeWork SA
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You open yourself to
the possibility of legal claims from any tenant, employee or
contractor for any potential exposure to asbestos fibres
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You expose yourself to
union action or disruption
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You may suffer adverse
media exposure
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Most importantly, You
will feel responsible if anyone you know suffers a health risk
as a result of non-compliance
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| Annual
Asbestos Register Updates |
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Why do I need to have
an inspection every year?
Under the OHS&W Regulations 1995 it is
required that at least annually, inspections
must be carried out by a competent person. A competent person is
a person suitably
qualified and can identify various types of asbestos, determine
how stable it is and
recognise whether it presents a risk to the people working within
the area.
SafeWork SA actively perform random audits to ensure compliance
and will issue
compliance notices and fines accordingly.
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Site
Survey and Inspection
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Example
of Signage
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What are the benefits of an annual inspection?
- minimise significantly the exposure to legal
liabilities from tenants, contractors
and/or employees.
- avoid the risk of being fined by SafeWork SA.
- minimise the possibility for claims on workers’
compensation due to asbestos
exposure.
- reduce the likelihood of waivered insurance
claims due to non-compliance.
- avoid failing internal or independent audits
due to non-compliance.
- avoid the possibility of unfavourable media
exposure and publicity.
- avoid possible union problems including stop
work actions.
- and most importantly, minimise the potential
health risks to any tenant, employee
or contractor for any possible exposure to asbestos fibres in
the workplace.
What does an Annual Inspection involve?
- checking any asbestos containing materials
for any deterioration in condition,
vandalism, disturbance.
- assessment of work performed on material or
in the vicinity of.
- ensure that access maintenance records are
kept.
- ensure that a hazard management plan is in
place.
- assess contamination to other materials.
- placement of adequate restrictive access signs
or caution signs.
- assess health risk to occupants / maintenance
personnel / contractors
or employees.
- friability, to ensure unstable/friable material
is removed only by a licensed
removalist as per regulations.
- ensure access is restricted to hazardous areas.
Annual Update Recommendations
From this inspection, an assessment is made
and a report is written as an Update to
the Asbestos Register. In this Update, owners or Property Managers
are informed on any problems that will require action. Recommendations
/ solutions must be implemented to
minimise any future health risk. Through this process, your compliance
to the regulations
is maintained.
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Carter Corporation Pty Ltd - Copyright
2009
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