Commercial & Workplace · Hobart

Commercial and Workplace Asbestos Removal in Hobart

Managing an older building? Know where the asbestos is before anyone starts work.

From heritage buildings and offices in the CBD to waterfront, hospitality, education, health and industrial sites in the northern suburbs, Hobart's commercial buildings span every era of asbestos use. For businesses and property managers, asbestos isn't just a safety issue, it's a legal responsibility under Tasmania's Work Health and Safety laws. A planned, documented approach protects your staff, tenants, contractors and customers, and keeps your projects on schedule.

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Your obligations

Your Asbestos Obligations as a Tasmania Workplace

Under Tasmanian Work Health and Safety laws, if you manage or control a workplace built before 31 December 2003, you must identify asbestos at the workplace (or assume it is present), keep an asbestos register, and have an asbestos management plan where asbestos is present. Registers aren't required for residential buildings, but they are for workplaces, and they must be updated after any removal work.

Workers who may come across asbestos in their work should also receive asbestos awareness training. Having asbestos on site doesn't mean it must be removed. Asbestos in good condition and unlikely to be disturbed is often safely managed in place. What the law requires is that the risk is understood and controlled before anyone disturbs it. WorkSafe Tasmania's codes of practice, How to Manage and Control Asbestos in the Workplace and How to Safely Remove Asbestos, set out these requirements in detail.

Modern commercial office building exterior

Strata & body corporate

Strata Buildings and Body Corporates

Common property in a strata scheme can be a workplace whenever contractors, cleaners or maintenance staff work there. Body corporates and strata managers should know where asbestos is located in common areas, keep records accessible, and brief contractors before painting, re-roofing, balcony and bathroom works, or upgrades involving meter boards and service ducts.

Refurbishment & demolition

Before Refurbishment or Demolition

Before refurbishing a workplace, asbestos likely to be disturbed must be identified and the register reviewed. Before demolition, asbestos must be identified and, so far as reasonably practicable, removed before demolition begins. Building a hazardous materials survey into your project plan early avoids costly stop-work orders and contractor delays.

Leasing

Lease Make-Good and Tenancy Changes

Asbestos often surfaces during fit-outs, strip-outs and end-of-lease make-good works. Check your lease to confirm whether the landlord or tenant is responsible for asbestos found during the works, and ask for a copy of the building's asbestos register before you start.

Licensed removal

What Licensed Commercial Removal Involves

In Tasmania, a Class A asbestos removal licence is required to remove any amount of friable asbestos. A Class A or Class B licence is required to remove more than 10 square metres of non-friable (bonded) asbestos. Before starting licensed asbestos removal work, the removalist must lodge a notification (form AR1) with WorkSafe Tasmania at least five days in advance. Where immediate removal is needed, for example after damage or an emergency, there's a separate process: WorkSafe is notified by phone straight away and the form follows within 24 hours.

The work area must be isolated with barriers and signage, and after licensed removal, the area must pass a clearance inspection before it's used again. For friable (Class A) removal, a licensed asbestos assessor must carry out the clearance inspection and issue the clearance certificate. For bonded (Class B) removal, clearance is done by a competent person. You should receive a written clearance certificate.

Asbestos is a controlled waste in Tasmania (EPA category N230). Under Tasmania's waste regulations, controlled waste must be transported within the state by a registered controlled waste transporter, and it can only go to a facility licensed to accept it. If you're a homeowner thinking of moving even a small amount yourself, check with EPA Tasmania and the receiving facility first. Your removalist should give you documentation of the waste chain for your records.

Minimising disruption

Minimising Disruption to Your Business

Removal can often be scheduled out of hours, on weekends, during shutdowns or in stages to keep tenants, staff and customers away from work areas. Your removalist will explain access requirements, work windows and any areas that need to be vacated.

Asbestos Emergencies at Your Workplace — if asbestos has been damaged by storm, fire, vehicle impact or accidental disturbance, stop all work in the area and keep people clear. Don't attempt an informal clean-up, sweep or use a standard vacuum. Seek qualified advice straight away. An uncontrolled release of asbestos at a workplace may need to be reported to WorkSafe Tasmania on 1300 366 322.