Asbestos Register Management for Residential Renovators and Landlords

The Model Work Health and Safety Regulations, Chapter 8, require an asbestos register for any workplace with a building constructed before 31 December 2003. The word that trips residential owners up is "workplace". According to Safe Work Australia guidance, a residential property becomes a workplace the moment a worker attends to do work.

That has real consequences. A landlord hiring a plumber, a strata committee engaging a cleaner for common property, or a renovating owner bringing in a contractor all trigger duties under the WHS regime. The duties include maintaining an asbestos register where asbestos-containing material is known or assumed to be present, and providing that register to the workers before they start.

AS 4964-2004 is the Australian Standard for identifying asbestos in bulk samples, it is the methodology a competent surveyor will use. The operative guidance in most states is Safe Work Australia's Code of Practice "How to Manage and Control Asbestos in the Workplace".

Removing more than 10 square metres of non-friable asbestos requires a licensed Class B removalist; friable asbestos requires a Class A licence.