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National Code of Practice for the Management and Control of Asbestos in Workplaces [NOHSC:2018(2005)]

The Code of Practice for the Management and Control of Asbestos in Workplaces [NOHSC:2018(2005)] has been adopted as a code of practice under Western Australian legislation.  Copies of this code can be downloaded from the Safe Work Australia website.

Contents

  1. Legal requirements
  2. Key elements of national code
  3. Control measures

Legal requirements

Since 1996, there has been a requirement to maintain a 'register' in the workplace of any asbestos products (including asbestos cement products) found in that workplace.

Regulation 5.43 of the Occupational Safety and Health Regulations 1996 requires the identification assesment and control of risks from hazards in relation to asbestos in accordance with the Code of Practice for the Management and Control of Asbestos in Workplaces [NOHSC: 2018(2005)] ('the Code').

When inspecting workplaces, WorkSafe will be taking into account that undisturbed AC sheeting does not usually pose a risk to health, however, employers still need to carry out identification and risk assessment and maintain a workplace register for any asbestos products found in a workplace, even if the only asbestos present consists of undisturbed asbestos cement products.

Key elements of the Code of Practice for the Management and Control of Asbestos in Workplaces [NOHSC: 2018(2005)]

  • An asbestos register must be held at workplaces where asbestos is present (Part 9).
  • Including photographs in the asbestos register can improve the level of information provided. 
  • A risk assessment must be done to see whether asbestos at the workplace presents a hazard to employees or other people present (Part 10).
  • The risk assessment must be done by a competent person. (Competent person is defined in the Code as a “person possessing adequate qualifications, such as suitable training and sufficient knowledge, experience and skill, for the safe performance of the specific work.” )
  • The register, including risk assessments, should be updated every 12 months or earlier (Part 9.3.1)
    • WorkSafe will accept that asbestos containing products assessed by a competent person as presenting a low risk to people, being in good condition and having a low risk of disturbance may be assessed at longer intervals (of up to three years), provided this longer assessment period is recorded in writing by the competent person and there are systems in place to report any damage, disturbance or work involving the asbestos that occurs prior to the next planned risk assessment.
  • Asbestos in the workplace should be appropriately labelled and signed (Part 9.5).
    • Warning signs and labels supplement the information in the asbestos register.
    • A competent person should determine suitable locations for signs and labels.

Control measures

  • The competent person involved in the asbestos identification and risk assessment should be involved in determining appropriate control strategies where practicable.
  • The type of control depends on the risk and the type of asbestos material. Examples of controls include removal, encapsulation and monitoring the condition of the material. 
  • Robust systems of providing information to people whose work may involve the asbestos are necessary. This includes ensuring that staff responsible for receiving, directing or instructing contractors or maintenance workers (e.g. receptionists, building managers, registrars, managers) are made aware of the information that needs to be provided. As a minimum, these workers must be informed about the presence of asbestos at the workplace and shown the asbestos register before commencing work in areas where asbestos is present.  
  • Workplaces should establish formal systems to ensure work which may involve asbestos is conducted safely. Examples of such systems include a job safety analysis (JSA), written risk assessment, written safe work method statements and a permit-to-work system. 
  • The employer must train people with a role in asbestos management (such as managers, building managers, receptionists and registrars), in relation to their role in asbestos management, use of the asbestos register, and provision of information to workers, including access to the register. 
  • Employers and people in control of workplaces must use trained and, where necessary, licensed people to conduct work involving asbestos. 
  • When preparing tender documentation for contractors, it is appropriate for information about the presence and location of asbestos to be included. 
  • Employers must ensure that work schedules or written work instructions for employees carrying out repair and maintenance work at the workplace also contain information about the presence and location of asbestos.
  • The Code contains specific guidance on how to conduct many tasks involving asbestos.

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