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Contact usWhat should I do if I find asbestos in my home or workplace?
Up to 1 in 3 houses in Australia may contain asbestos. Many workplaces may also contain asbestos.
Home owner
You should treat materials in your home as if they contain asbestos unless you have confirmed that they don’t. A licensed asbestos removalist or occupational hygienist can take a sample for testing.
You must assess the condition of asbestos materials that you have in your home. If materials are in good condition, they pose minimal risk because they are unlikely to release fibres into the air. If damaged or in poor condition they may need to be removed. It is recommended that you contact a licensed asbestos removalist or occupational hygienist to determine if removal is the best choice.
Employee
Under the Workplace Health and Safety Act 1995, employees must take care of the health and safety of themselves, and others in the workplace. Employees must notify their employer of any material that they come across in their work that contains, or may contain asbestos.
Employer
Employer requirements related to asbestos in the workplace are detailed in the Workplace Health and Safety Regulations 1998
A person who has control of a workplace must take steps to:
- identify the presence of asbestos
- carry out a risk assessment on the potential for exposure to asbestos fibres
- take appropriate steps to ensure that any person in the workplace is not exposed to asbestos fibres above the exposure standard.
An asbestos register which identifies asbestos in the workplace must also be maintained. Information that should be included in an asbestos register is included in the Safe Work Australia 'Code of Practice for the Management and Control of Asbestos in Workplaces'. This is available on the Safe Work Australia website and can be found on the publications page.
The general duties of employers under the Workplace Health and Safety Act 1995 also apply.
Renter
If you are renting a house and are concerned that it may contain asbestos, you should contact your agent.