Removing, breaking, cleaning, cutting, drilling, filing, grinding, sanding or smashing materials that contain asbestos can release very fine and potentially dangerous asbestos fibres into the air where they can be easily inhaled. While people in the building, trades, maintenance and service sectors may work with and remove small amounts (up to 10 square metres) of bonded asbestos as part of their daily work activities if they have, through an approved course, received appropriate training for working with asbestos, these people are not licensed asbestos removalists and should not engage in removing asbestos as an occupation or be engaged as asbestos removalists. (That is, people working in the building, trades, maintenance and service sectors should only handle asbestos if they happen to be working on an area that contains asbestos and have had appropriate training to work with it.)
In the ACT, you must have a current A class asbestos removal license or a current B class asbestos removal license to remove more than 10 square metres of bonded asbestos. Friable asbestos can only be removed by someone who has an A class asbestos removal license. If you are not trained or appropriately licensed to carry out asbestos work, engage someone who is. It is important that any asbestos removal work is carried out in accordance with the asbestos removal code.
Remember: It is illegal to reuse materials containing asbestos. A national ban on the re-use of asbestos products came into effect on 31 December 2003.
Click here for information on how to safely work with asbestos.
Click here for information on how to safely remove asbestos.
Click here for information on how to safely dispose of asbestos.
