Know your asbestos: identification and safe removal for small projects

Good day, everyone. I'm Chris Bombolas, your MC for today. Welcome to our Know Your Asbestos webinar for homeowners, home renovators, and tradespeople. Thank you all for taking the time out of your busy work and home lives to join us today as part of Asbestos Awareness Week 2024.

I'd like to begin by respectfully acknowledging the Traditional Custodians of the land we are speaking to you from today and on which you are learning and working on today. We also pay our respects to Elders past and present and extend that respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people watching today.

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With approximately one in every three homes in Australia containing asbestos, it affects so many people, including tradies, homeowners, renovators, DIYers, demolishers, asbestos removalists—just to name just a few. And also, the families living in these dwellings and their neighbours. In today's session, you will hear from speakers on where asbestos-containing materials are commonly found in residential homes, how to manage it, safe methods for cleaning, and information about the safe removal and transport of up to 10 square metres of non-friable asbestos.

First up, I would like to welcome Colin McAllister, a Principal Asbestos Advisor in the Occupational Health and Hygiene Unit and Asbestos Unit at the Office of Industrial Relations in Queensland. Colin brings 18 years of experience in asbestos risk management across the UK and Australia, with expertise in complex asbestos remediation.

Today, Colin will delve into how to identify asbestos-containing materials in homes built before 1990 and the safe removal requirements for under 10 square metres of non-friable asbestos. Let's welcome Colin to the microphone.

Thank you, Chris. And welcome to everybody joining from home or from work today. I just want to start by saying that we do have a number of QR codes with useful links to our asbestos website throughout this presentation today. So, if you do have your phone on hand, please feel free to scan those as we make our way through the presentation, and then you can refer back to them on completion.

So, what is asbestos? So asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral. We find this all around the world, including here in Australia. We have two specific fibre groups. We have amphibole, which are our straight needle-like asbestos fibres, and within this group we have crocidolite and amosite, otherwise known as our blue and brown asbestos. And then we have our serpentine fibre group, which are our curly wavy asbestos fibres. Within this group we have chrysotile, which is otherwise known as our white asbestos.

So why was asbestos used in building products? So essentially it was an easily acquired natural resource with many unique properties, including great flexibility, high tensile strength, the ability to insulate from heat. It was non-conductive to electricity and chemically inert, and it was also really affordable at the time. We do know that there's over 3000 asbestos products and asbestos can be present in one in three Australian households.

So as a general rule if your property was constructed prior to the mid-1980s, we say that it is likely that asbestos will be present. If your property was constructed between the mid-1980s and 1990s, we say that it is likely that asbestos will be present. And if your property was constructed after 1990, we said that it is unlikely that asbestos will be present.

Now, I should note that the total ban of asbestos came into effect on the 31st of December 2003. So, if your property was constructed between this date and 1990, there is a small possibility that asbestos may have been introduced into your home during construction.

Now, when we're looking around our home to determine what could be asbestos, there's a number of things we could look towards. So, we have the age of the building, which we just discussed. We also have the era of renovation. So, if you have a 1920s or thirties cottage, for example, and you had extensive renovation between the fifties, so the eighties, there is a possibility that asbestos may have been introduced into your home during that process.

We also have the manufacturer's labels, which you can see in the image on the bottom right-hand side there. These may be placed on the back of some of your sheets in your home. 

We also have the look and the feel of the product. So, on the left hand side photos, you can see those cover strips which are indicative of an asbestos product.

And also, you can see those nails are sitting quite proud which is indicative again of a harder asbestos cement sheet. And in the top right corner, you can see a fragment of asbestos cement sheet with that dimple pattern, otherwise commonly referred to as golf ball effect or honeycomb. Again, relatively consistent with asbestos material.

Now, it's important to note that if we are going to be doing any renovations, we must sample any suspect materials and have them analysed at a NATA accredited laboratory, whether that's going to be your builder which you need to see proof of those samples to confirm what's happening. Also, if you are going to be taking those, you can take them and take them down to a NATA accredited laboratory. So there are three main asbestos related diseases linked to the inhalation of asbestos fibres.

We have asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma. Now these are all linked to our exposure concentration, exposure duration, and exposure frequency. Essentially how many, how often, how long. We also take into account the size, shape and the chemical makeup of the asbestos fibres, and also our individual risk factors such as, are you a smoker? And if you are a smoker, you do have a higher chance of developing lung cancer.

Now, before we go down the route of taking our samples or having a consultant come to our home, undertake an inspection and taking those samples for us, it is worthwhile doing our own research to determine what could be around our property. So highly recommend you jump onto our asbestos website. I'm going to run through a number of resources that are available there for you.

So we do have a number of videos and films, some of which are the ones presented on the screen at the moment. So, these are some short, sharp videos around about four minutes long with one of our former colleagues walking through some old properties showing you where asbestos can be located and what that looks like. We also have these images of common locations of asbestos containing materials. Now a lot of people will be familiar with things like the corrugated asbestos cement roof, or similarly the asbestos fence. But there may be, there may be some other products in there that people aren't aware of.

Now, here we have a comparison between some older asbestos cement from the 1950s and some more slightly more modern asbestos material from the seventies. So, on the left you can see you've got that specific honeycomb golf ball pattern that people refer to with asbestos. But on the right, you can see that there's a less prominent print on the back. It's a slightly different colour, which a lot of people may think is non asbestos because it doesn't have that honeycomb print. But again, just require just reiterates the need for sampling at a NATA accredited laboratory.

So, I'm going to run through a couple of products that may be present around your home or your family's home. So, we're going to start with probably one of the most common asbestos products. So, we do have our asbestos corrugated roof sheeting here. So on the left-hand side, you can see that there's two super six roof sheets. You can also see that there's some rich ridge capping. On the top left photo. In the top right photo, we have again, a super six product. This is what we call a Tuscan style roof. So again, super six, but in a short profile of around about 750 milometers. And in the bottom right corner, you can see that we have the screw or the bolts with the galvanised down diamond washer, and beneath this washer you can find a bituminous felt that also contains asbestos. Here we have our asbestos cement shingle roof tiles. So the three photos on the left you can see that these are made to look like slate. They're one of the oldest asbestos products in Australia. These particular tiles were about 300 by 300 squares, turned on a 45-degree angled installed in that diamond effect. And then on the right-hand side, we have what we call the multi-notch shingle tile. This is one long sheet that has approximately, I think it's four shingle tiles on each sheet.

Next, we have our decramastic roof tile. So this is a pressed aluminium sheet with a grit like matrix adhered via an asbestos bituminous product. And you can see on the photo on the left-hand side, this will more often be installed over a, an existing tin or iron roof.

Next on the left we have our gable sheets. With the gable sheets more often, we will not see joints in our asbestos cement sheeting. This will typically be covered by that timber feature. And then on the right-hand side we have our soffit sheets where you can see there's multiple different styles of ventilation, holes, penetrations, and slots. More often than not, this is going to be a, a non-friable bonded asbestos cement sheet, but just be mindful that this can also contain asbestos low-density board. So just be mindful again and reiterate that needs to make sure that you take any samples before you perform any works. So here we have our asbestos cement, rainwater, gutters, and downpipes. So more often than not, you are going to see this around an asbestos corrugated roof. However, there may be instances where the corrugated roofing has been removed, but they've left the gut, the downpipe behind. So just be mindful if you're performing any external or roof renovations.

Next is our cement vent pipe. You're going to find this externally to the building adjacent, most likely the bathroom toilet. The reason for this is it expels the gases and smells from that area up above the roof line externally. You can see on the two left hand side photos that the bottom section of these pipes will most likely be a cast iron. And then the top section will be the moulded asbestos cement itself. Now, where that cement sockets into the T-junction of that cast iron, that can also contain additional asbestos materials. Next, we have our asbestos cement disconnected traps around. So again, externally around the perimeter of the building on the floor where our plumbing services are you'll see this moulded cement form work around that concrete base.

And next we have our electrical fuse and switchboard. So, we can actually contain quite a few asbestos materials in this location. So in the top left corner, we have our black zeolite, which is a compressed tar pitch or pitched tar board. And within the box work there, you can also find a friable asbestos mill board or a fibre cement lining inside that box work.

In the bottom left corner, you can see that we have an asbestos cement backing behind the electrical meter equipment and also to the rear of the door. And then in the top right corner, we can see our porcelain fuse holder, where we have a woven textile friable, asbestos pad. And then in the bottom right corner, this is actually the view inside a ceramic fuse itself. Not all, but there are some fuses out there that contain a friable asbestos pad inside those fuses as well. So next, again, one of our more common asbestos cement products. So we have our flat cement cladding externally, you can see on these two photos that, again, we do have those cover strips. So on the left we have more of a moulded cover strip, whereas on the right we have a flat cover strip.

And now we're going to move into our profile cement wall cladding. So on the left-hand side we have our Hardie's cover line, and on the right, we have our Hardie's shadow line. Important to note, these are probably two of the most predominant profile cement wall cladding that you'll find in Queensland. Here we've got a range of profile cement wall sheets. I'm not going to go through every single one of them, but again, these will have been installed dependent on the aesthetics of the building. The top right photo there, specifically the hardy plank that can come in a wood grain or a smooth finish. A more unique product, we have our imitation brick cladding. Now, essentially this is a flat cement sheet cladding around the outside of your property that actually has a brick stencil applied to the outside of that cement product. On the right-hand side photo there, you can see that the stencil itself is actually starting to de-laminate through weathering. And you can actually see the joins in the flat cement sheets.

Here we have our compressed asbestos cement sheet flooring. So externally, you are typically going to find this around your verandah, your stairwells or your decking. Again, typically can look like timber when, when not painted internally. We can also find this in our bathrooms, our toilets on our kitchens. More often it's going to be covered with maybe a ceramic tile. So if you do have areas with ceramic tiles, just be mindful if you're going to be doing any renovations. Best thing to do with these in these locations is to actually have a look from underside of the property, if possible. And when you look up to the floor, and you may just see a bright grey sheet and, and potentially some asbestos warning stickers as well. So again, another one of our more common asbestos products. So this is just our asbestos cement sheet within our within our properties. So we have our walls and ceilings. Again, you can see those unique cover strips internally, most likely to be a timber product. And on the right hand side, there you can see a view from a loft space looking down on the asbestos sheet. Again, in this particular instance, there's no warning labels, but you may, in some instances come across them.

Next, we have our tile and Duratek. So you're going to find these in wet areas such as bathrooms, laundries, you'll even find them in the kitchen. So you can see there's a unique pattern colouring to these products. They also have the aluminium strips and obviously the nails are quite visible on those left hand side photos as well. And here we have our friable asbestos back sheet vinyl. So this is a product that we are trying to raise awareness on so we can find this anywhere within our homes. So as you can see, the top layer there of the, the pattern does not contain asbestos. And if left in a good condition, poses a very low risk. However, given the age of it, most of these sheets are coming to the point where they might be starting to de deteriorate and start to peel around doorways. So all we ask here is this is something that you cannot touch yourself. The asbestos product is that grey paper to the underside of the vinyl itself. So this is a product that needs to be remediated by a class, A licence, asbestos, removalist. And again, if you need any assistance, we do recommend speaking to a competent person or a NATA accredited laboratory with assistance with this product.

Next, we have our non-friable asbestos flooring. So unlike vinyl, these particular tiles, they do not bend. So if you try to remove these, you're going to find that they will snap quite easily, which is demonstrated in that left hand side photo. And also with this product, you can also find a black asbestos bituminous material sometime referred to as blackjack. But again, from those two, the photo on the left and the bottom in the middle, you can quite see. It's a, it's a distinct black material that contains asbestos, which is separate to the tile itself. So now I'm going to move on to our asbestos load density board, otherwise known as LDB. So, LDB is a friable product and can only be removed by a class A licensed asbestos removalist. It does have the appearance of a fibre cement sheet. But unlike asbestos cement, which can contain up to 20% asbestos, LDB actually contains up to 70% asbestos. LDB has a calcium silicate matrix, which means it's easily bendable. It can be broken quite easily. And from the photo on the left hand side, you can see this demonstrates that it has more of a tearing effect as opposed to, you can see as the asbestos cement sheet has more of a, a clean break. So again, on the right hand side of that image, you can see that there's quite jagged edges. And the photo on the right hand side, again, just to demonstrate that the cement products are typically harder. So those nail heads will sit quite proud as opposed to the LDB, you can see in that photo, it's either flush or most likely to be countersunk because of how soft the product is. So Workplace Health and Safety Queensland recommends you engage a licensed asbestos removal to remove all and any asbestos.

However, as a minimum, you must comply with the law and you must engage an asbestos removal is to remove greater than 10 square meters of non-friable asbestos, any amount of friable, asbestos, and more than minor quantities of asbestos, dust, and debris. Now we have a QR code there on the screen. If you're able to scan that. This'll pull up a publicly accessible list on our asbestos website. And from that list, you'll be able to find a class B class licence holders that are current within Queensland. Now, controls that apply to all asbestos removal and all asbestos related works, we do need to make sure that we identify our hazards. So asbestos being our primary hazard in this, in this instance. However, we do need to take into account electrics falls from heights and other things such as lone working. We do need to indicate our asbestos work area.

So we need to have barricading by barrier tape and asbestos signage. We just want to warn of any unauthorised access, making sure that we wear our correct personal protective equipment and respiratory protective equipment and making sure that's fit for purpose on what we're doing. So in most circumstances, it's going to be a P2 respirator, disposable coveralls, and most likely gloves. All removal to be undertaken using wet methods. So ensuring that that we are minimising any of that airborne asbestos fibre release and that we undertake full decontamination on completion. Now, you can see in the bottom right corner, we do have a link to multiple videos on our website that demonstrate this in more detail. So please feel free to use that resource. And then finally, we just need to make sure that we contain all our waste and dispose of it correctly.

So if we're required to paint asbestos cement, we do need to make sure that we paint asbestos that's in a good condition. We can prep the, the surface of a, of a, a good condition, asbestos cement with sugar soap. And if need be, you can scrape the surfaces in, in smaller areas, maybe around the nail holes. But as long as we use the wet method on that and making sure that we're only painting over existing paint, we don't want to be looking to remove paint from an asbestos surface. And if you are required to drill into asbestos cement, again, we do have this safe work procedure on our website. But in summary, we just need to make sure, again, we have our PPE, we have our plastic on the ground to make sure that we capture any potential asbestos release. We're going to place some tape on the wall.

This is to ensure that the cement product itself doesn't fracture or crumble. We're going to take our shaving foam, spray a small circle around the drill site, and then we'll take our battery operated drill, ensuring that that's operated at the lowest possible setting to be able to create the hole. We'll take our clear disposable plastic cup, place that over the drill bit, and fill that with foam. And then when we place the, the, the cup up against the wall, we just need to make sure that we've got that full seal around the drill site to ensure any asbestos dust release is captured within that shaving foam. Once we've completed that hole, we just then need to take the, the cup, place that in our asbestos waste bag. And then obviously in the bottom right photo there, you can see that there's some residual material left on the cement.

We're going to take our disposable wet wipes, clean that up and seal the hole with some PVA glue. So if you need to remove an asbestos cement sheet, for example very similar situation in terms of we need to make sure we cord off our area with barrier tape and asbestos signage. Again, preventing unauthorised access, we need to make sure we wear our protective equipment, again, our RPE and our PPE, making sure that we use the wet methods. So again, making sure any breakages are kept to an absolute minimum, but making sure that we have a low pressure handheld spray bottle full with water and PVA to saturate any dust that may be generated. And also making sure that we complete our decontamination of ourselves, our equipment, and our work, work area on completion. So also, we just need to make sure, if possible, that we do this in a well-ventilated open air.

So once we've completed any of the procedures that we just talked about, again, we just need to reiterate we decontaminate our area and make sure that we clean up after ourselves. So wet white methods, we're going to take our disposable wet wipes and we're going to wipe that plastic sheet in that's on the floor, collect any visible dust and debris. Once we've done one pass, we'll then dispose of that wet wipe and take a, a new clean wipe and then perform that until your surface in your area is fully decontaminated. Don't forget to decontaminate yourself. So again, you, you can do that using wet wipes, but also you may want to take, again, a small handheld sprayer filled with water and PVA and just spray that down over your suits, just to make sure you capture any potential dust. And then making sure that you dispose of your waste accordingly. So again, in the bottom right corner there, that's a video once again on our asbestos website that you can use as a resource, and it'll just, it'll talk you step by step through that process.

So we talked about disposal. We do just need to make sure that we never dispose of any amount of asbestos in our domestic garbage bins or our green waste bins. We need to make sure that all of our asbestos waste is disposed of correctly. So that'll be either taken it to a an accepting waste facility or arranging for a contractor to come and collect that from your home. But again, to reiterate, we do not want to see any amount of asbestos in our domestic garbage or green waste bins. Now all the resources, I think, have reiterated a few times all of the resources that we've just been through plus many more are currently on our asbestos website. So please feel free to jump on there if you're going to be performing any works yourself, or if you have any contractors come into your home to perform works familiarise with yourself with these procedures.

We also have our codes of practice for asbestos. So there's our how to safely remove asbestos, which has an abundance of material to help you during any process. And then we have our how to manage asbestos and control asbestos in the workplace. In Appendix G of this document, again, the majority of those scenarios we've just talked through are on there, plus a number more. We have our prohibited activity. So these are the things you cannot do. So cannot use power tools and brooms on asbestos. You mustn't use high pressure water blasters, compressed air, or abrasive blasting. And also never use a domestic vacuum at home, regardless of if it has a HEPA filter. These are not add adequate for asbestos removal. These need to be H-class HEPA asbestos vacuums that you can only get from specific contractors or suppliers. And finally, before I finish up I just want to draw your attention to this publication, A Guide for Minor Renovation. Again, we'll cover the majority of what I've spoken about today in more greater detail. There's many useful things in there in terms of where you can find asbestos. More of a description of what friable asbestos is include in LDB and again, also talks about that need for correct disposal. Okay, that's me. Thank you.

Thank you Colin. Really appreciate the comprehensive look at identifying asbestos and of course dealing with it. And the many resources that are very handy and are available for those people watching our presentation today. Remember, if you have any questions for Colin, you can submit them now via the chat box to the right of your screen, and we'll get to them at the end of today's session.

Next up, it's Matt Young, a Principal Asbestos Advisor in the Occupational Health Hygiene and Asbestos Unit at the Office of Industrial Relations in Queensland. Matt brings 20 years of consulting experience in asbestos risk management across the UK and Australia before joining the Queensland Government. Today, Matt will be discussing the dangers of using high-pressure water blasting on asbestos-containing materials.

Welcome, Matt.

Thanks, Chris.

Good morning, everyone, and thanks again for joining us. Now, some of you out there might be thinking about taking on some DIY projects. You may be thinking about cleaning or painting the outside of your house—maybe your roof, or your garden fence. You might have a high-pressure water blaster in your garage that you're thinking about using to help with the cleaning or painting prep.

Today, I want to talk to you about the dangers of using high-pressure water on asbestos and the impacts and outcomes that can occur. First of all, just to reiterate what Colin just mentioned: the use of high-pressure water on asbestos is completely prohibited. It's illegal. This applies to workers at workplaces under WHS legislation and also applies to homeowners, renters, and tenants at their homes under public health legislation.

In terms of the asbestos-containing materials we're most likely to encounter around the home, it's going to be asbestos cement. Asbestos cement is a hard, brittle product. The fibres are bound in a cement matrix, meaning they are held in place by the cement. These materials generally contain up to about 20% asbestos. As Colin mentioned, there may be a dimpled surface on one side of the product, but we can't always inspect the rear side of these products. This isn't the only indicator we use.

Since asbestos is the most commonly encountered material around the home, I'm going to focus on that and the outcomes of using high-pressure water, particularly on asbestos roofs.

Here we have a couple of photographs of Super Six roofs, just to go over what Colin mentioned earlier. The thing to note here is that not all of these corrugated roofs have the same size corrugation. For example, this is a Super Six roof. It has a two-inch corrugation from peak to trough. The next photo on the left shows another corrugated asbestos cement roof, but this one has a standard profile with a one-inch corrugation. Meanwhile, the photo on the right shows a Tuscan-style roof, which has a more curved appearance. This demonstrates that not all corrugated roofs look the same, and the corrugation size can vary between one and two inches.

When it comes to asbestos-containing materials located externally, exposure to the elements over time causes them to weather. If we consider that asbestos-containing materials were phased out in the late 1980s, your roof or fence—being at least 35 years old, if not 45 to 50—has likely weathered significantly. Over time, the surface changes from its original light grey colour at production to a dark grey, black, or even green due to lichen growth.

As lichen grows, its roots penetrate the surface of the asbestos-containing material, causing minute fractures that destabilise it. Alternatively, your roof or fence might be painted, and over time, that paint can deteriorate and flake off.

The dangers of using high-pressure water are severe. First and foremost, it destroys the surface of the asbestos-containing material. The high-pressure water breaks down the matrix that holds the fibres in place, releasing airborne fibres. These fibres can stick to everything—your clothes, shoes, the area where you're working, lawns, trees, bushes, and anything in the yard. This contamination can spread to your neighbours and potentially even to public areas in the street.

When high-pressure water breaks down the asbestos surface, it releases dangerous fibres that create significant health risks to you and those around you. Any contaminated areas, when disturbed in the future, can release airborne fibres again, posing ongoing risks to health.

This is a photo of something we do not want to see. It was taken by one of our inspectors during an investigation. Here, a roofing contractor is on an asbestos Super Six roof, using a high-pressure water blaster.

To highlight the damage caused by high-pressure water: in the photo on the left, the blue arrow points to the weathered surface of a two-inch corrugated Super Six roof. On the right, where the orange arrow is, we see the surface after high-pressure water was used. The water stripped away the roof sheeting's surface, spreading contamination everywhere.

In the close-up photo on the right-hand side, all the "fur" visible on the surface is asbestos fibres.

So in terms of what this contamination can look like, on the left-hand side is a paint flake. The back of that paint flake has taken all the asbestos off of a roof sheet when high-pressure water's been used. On the right, that's a matted bundle of asbestos fibres. Again, that's been stripped off the roof sheet when someone's used high-pressure water.

We mentioned before that asbestos can stick to your clothing if you're using high-pressure water. Here we can see it's over someone's trousers, their shoes, and all over the high-pressure blaster that they used. If you've got this on your trousers, on your shoes, you could walk this into your car, into your home, or hug your loved ones and put their health at risk. You can contaminate your yard.

Here we've got photographs of vegetation and fences with all asbestos contamination over them. We also have contamination that's run down the side of the gutters. Anything in your yard can become contaminated. Here we have bicycles, and they're all covered in asbestos debris after someone's used high-pressure water.

The photograph on the left shows someone's yard. Again, all these paint flakes in the grass have asbestos on the back. The asbestos runoff has gone all down the pathway. When we look at the photograph on the right, we see that asbestos can contaminate public areas. Here, someone's used a high-pressure water blaster to clean an asbestos roof. That contamination has flowed into the gutters, which has then flowed into the downpipes, and discharged out the front of the house into the road. This is asbestos that's run all down the road as a result of someone high-pressure blasting their asbestos roof.

The contamination cord can be significant, and an A-class asbestos removalist is required to do the cleanup. Here we can see a couple of photographs of the cleanup underway at some properties where people have used water blasters. In terms of the impact as part of the cleanup, we can see the before and after. Here we've got vegetation and fences, all of which had to go because they were contaminated. The outside of both of these houses had to be completely decontaminated and cleaned down.

The cost here can be significant, running into tens of thousands of dollars. Here we see another before and after of someone's yard. Again, this is the impact of using high-pressure water. All the vegetation is contaminated and had to be disposed of as asbestos waste.

If we look at some statistics between 2016 and 2022, unfortunately, we saw an increase in the number of incidents where high-pressure water was used on asbestos. We had 53 incidents reported to us. Of these, 35 involved PCBUs, so they were investigated by Workplace Health and Safety. The remainder were homeowners, tenants, and renters, passed over to local council and investigated under public health legislation.

We mentioned the cost. The average cost here was $88,000 for a cleanup. Please let me reiterate: don't use high-pressure water. It's going to put your health at risk, contaminate yourself and your yard, and leave you with a cleanup bill of tens of thousands of dollars. For more complicated cleanups, the cost can go up to $160,000 for incidents involving multiple properties.

So if you are thinking about doing any DIY tasks, please follow these three steps:

1. Look: Inspect the area we're going to be working. Know that a pre 1990 building, it's likely that asbestos is going to be lurking somewhere. Know what asbestos looks like. Know where asbestos contained materials can be found.
2. Check: If you're unsure, you can assume that asbestos is present or you can get a sample checked, and that sample has to be analysed at a NATA accredited laboratory. If you're unsure of how to identify asbestos or to safely take a sample, you can engage a trained professional to assist.
3. Prepare: If asbestos has been identified in your work area or near to your work area, and it's likely to be disturbed, as Colin mentioned earlier, we always recommend using a licensed asbestos removalist, but there are some safe work procedures that you can follow. So know the rules, know the regulations, know what you can and can't do. But if you are going to take on any of these safe work procedures, make sure you've got the right experience, equipment and skills to do the task. And again, if you're unsure, use a licensed professional.

So to finish up, just to reiterate what Colin said, all our information is on the asbestos website. So that's www.asbestos.qld.gov.au, and onscreen now we have QR code, which will take us straight through to the section on cleaning your high pressure roofs. There's a really good information video on there, tells us the do's and the don'ts and highlights the risk. That's all from me and thanks very much.

Thank you Matt. I think there is a very important basic message for all of us to adhere to. And I reckon that's simply never, ever, ever use high pressure water blasters on asbestos. It's illegal and downright dangerous. Remember, if you have a question for Matt or Colin so far, please submit them in the chat box on the right of your screen.

Our next speaker today is Dustin Carroll from the Asbestos Compliance Unit at the Office of Industrial Relations. With over two decades of experience in the construction industry, Dustin has developed a robust expertise in safety and compliance in the Asbestos Compliance Unit (ACU). The team focus is on investigation of serious violations, including unlicensed asbestos removal and unsafe demolition practices, where appropriate ACU also submit reports that lead to sanctions against unsafe, incompetent, licensed asbestos removalists, and licensed asbestos assessors. Today, Dustin will be highlighting real life case studies of what happens when things go horribly wrong, including fines and dangers.

Welcome, Dustin.

Thanks, Bomba.

Firstly, I would like to touch on who the Asbestos Compliance Unit are—that is, our strategic direction, our current work, and some quick statistics. Then we'll have a look at some real-life case studies that illustrate what happens when the law isn't followed, including unlicensed demolition work where the home contained asbestos and the use of high-pressure water on asbestos-containing materials.

There have been several reviews of government regulation regarding asbestos safety and the resultant strategies that have informed the framework of asbestos regulation by the Office of Industrial Relations. The National Strategic Plan and the Statewide Strategic Plan for the Safe Management of Asbestos in Queensland are examples of these documents. These, along with initiatives such as the Compliance and Field Services Proactive Compliance Program (2024 to 2027).

It was the review of similar documents that gave rise to the Asbestos Compliance Unit In 2017, OIR's Asbestos Unit commenced the robust asbestos regulator program. The Asbestos Compliance Unit is a continuation of that work.

The key work of the unit, as Bomba mentioned, includes targeted comprehensive investigations of serious asbestos-related offenses for consideration of risk-based prosecutions, targeted investigations of poor-performing asbestos licence holders for consideration of sanctions by the Asbestos Licence Review Panel, and the Compliance and Field Services Proactive Compliance Program (2024 to 2027).

Some quick statistics: asbestos-related prosecutions. Since the beginning of the 2018–2019 financial year, approximately 30 separate entities have been prosecuted for asbestos-related offenses. As a result of these successful prosecutions, offenders were fined by the court over $300,000 and ordered to pay approximately $80,000 in remediation costs.

Since the beginning of the 2018–2019 financial year, OIR has sanctioned 23 asbestos licence holders. These include both licensed asbestos removalists and licensed asbestos assessors. These sanctions have included issuing warnings, adding conditions, or, where appropriate, suspending or cancelling licenses.

Regarding the Compliance and Field Services Proactive Compliance Program (2024 to 2027), this year the asbestos management campaign commenced on the 1st of August and ran to the end of October. The majority of this work was completed by the Compliance and Field Services inspectorate. Inspectors throughout the state conducted 182 campaign assessments and issued 151 enforcement notices, including six infringement notices. Of the notices issued, the majority have been for failing to clearly indicate the presence and location of asbestos and failing to ensure asbestos registers are prepared, kept at the workplace, and reviewed.

Also, the Asbestos Compliance Unit has commenced the proactive licence holder assessment campaign. This campaign levers off performance statistics, and currently,

11 assessments have been commenced. As a result, two investigations have been launched. We also have other small-scale campaigns running that focus on housing, transport, and imported asbestos.

In the past six financial years, OIR has issued over 300 infringement notices for asbestos-related contraventions, totalling over half a million dollars in on-the-spot fines.

Now let's have a look at some case studies.

The first concerns an unlicensed demolition contractor who faced court in mid-December last year for offenses of failing to manage risks arising from asbestos-containing materials during the demolition of a domestic premises. On two occasions, the defendant demolished domestic premises at suburban addresses in Brisbane, which contained asbestos-containing material, in accordance with contracts they entered into with the homeowners.

On both occasions, the defendant failed to safely remove asbestos sheeting before demolishing the house with an excavator. This caused the breakage of asbestos sheeting and the release of asbestos fibres. In both cases, our inspectors attended the site and issued a number of statutory notices to the defendant. These included notices requiring the safe removal and disposal of asbestos waste.

The defendant failed to comply with those notices, and the property owners had to engage alternate demolition and asbestos removalists to remediate those sites. The extra costs and delays on these jobs caused the existing building contracts to expire, and the losses to those homeowners were in the tens of thousands of dollars.

In sentencing the defendant, the magistrate observed the defendant's failure to comply with statutory notices, their complete disregard for health and safety law, and that they exposed neighbours and inspectors to risk. A global fine of $100,000 for all offenses was issued to the defendant. The magistrate remarked that such a fine was modest in the circumstances, and a conviction was recorded against the defendant.

Moving on, in the past 12 months, we've had five cases heard in court where high-pressure water was used on asbestos.

In March 2024, a case proceeded to trial where the corporate defendant and the individual defendant pleaded not guilty on the grounds that they were not informed that the roof was asbestos-containing material. Ten witnesses were called, including expert witnesses. Both parties were found guilty on all charges, and the magistrate noted that the defendants didn't identify or eliminate risks.

It was also an aggravating feature that the defendant held a commercial trade licence. The corporate defendant received a $37,500 fine, a conviction was recorded, and they were ordered to pay over $39,000 in professional and legal costs, which included remediation costs. The individual defendant received an $80,000 fine and a conviction recorded.

In August 2024, a sole-trading roofing contractor was sentenced in Brisbane Magistrate's Court. The defendant did not cooperate with the investigation. The magistrate considered the offending aggravated as the defendant had been told that the roof was asbestos-containing material before they had accepted the work. The defendant received a $10,000 fine and over $55,000 in professional and legal costs, which included remediation.

Another case was heard where the corporate and individual defendants pleaded guilty to all charges. They were very cooperative throughout the investigation and contributed a significant amount of money to the relocation of the occupants from their homes and to the decontamination of their vehicle.

The corporate defendant received a $5,000 fine and a court-ordered undertaking with recognizance set in the amount of $25,000. This court-ordered undertaking is essentially a suspended sentence. The individual defendant received 60 hours of community service and a court-ordered undertaking with recognizance set in the amount of $15,000.

So, that's all for my presentation—apart from to say that there are no fines and no prosecutions when asbestos work is done properly. Those are my best days at work when we go to a site and see everything done in compliance with the Act and Code of Practice.

Thanks, mate.

Thank you Dustin. I must say, the

Asbestos Compliance Unit is very busy, sadly. And it's disappointing that there are still people and organisations doing the wrong thing when it comes to asbestos. Reminder, if you do have questions for Dustin or any of our speakers, please submit them via the chat box.

I'd now like to introduce our final speaker for today—Tim Reed, Manager of Waste Compliance Operations within the Department of Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation. Tim has worked with the state government in a regulatory context for over 15 years, the majority within the environmental space. For the past five years, Tim has worked specifically in waste compliance, including the implementation and now coordination of the statewide compliance response to the waste levy that commenced in 1990. Today, Tim's going to cover, transport and disposal requirements for up to 10 square meters of non-friable asbestos. Over to you, Tim.

Thank you, Bomba.

Good morning, everyone out there online. First of all, I'd like to thank everyone again for taking the time today—or this morning—to attend this. I'd also like to thank my colleagues here in the Office of Industrial Relations. It's a good event to have the two departments working closely on such an important issue.

So, I am from the Environment Department. We will be talking today about the safe transport and disposal for that small-scale asbestos removal. That's the focus for this one. The department doesn't directly regulate such small volumes. I'll go into what we do regulate during this presentation because it is important to understand if you do end up crossing that 10-metre threshold—or what it does mean if you cross that 10-metre threshold.

But having said that, just because the department doesn't directly regulate the asbestos through the licensing and waste management of the transport side of things for those small volumes, it doesn't take away from the importance that the asbestos is still asbestos. It doesn’t matter if it's just a small volume or a large volume; it's still the same material.

What we'll be going through today is explaining the categorisation of asbestos. In Queensland, it's regulated waste. So, it's different from that more general sort of waste that your normal household waste applies to. We'll talk about the thresholds that apply—when licensing and departmental regulation take over—and we'll also talk about the correct disposal.

There are two main pieces of legislation that the department administers that relate to asbestos. There's the Environmental Protection Act, which is all about licensing. That’s where the transport is covered, and it covers environmental harm. Then we have the Waste Reduction and Recycling Act, which includes legal dumping provisions and the waste levy provisions.

So in Queensland, we have three broad categories of waste.

1. General waste—that's your municipal solid waste. Your, your general household waste, that could be green waste bricks, concrete low risk. Then we have two categories of regulated waste.
2. Regulated waste—that's your higher risk wastes. We separate them into two separate categories as well. Category one is the highest risk. Category two is lower risk.

So they are still differing levels of risk depending on what the material is but still very important to consider.

So here's a little snip out of the back end of the Environmental Protection Regulations. So Schedule 9, this is where the, the different elements that that come up as regulated waste. You'll see on the right there's a column with ones and twos, and that's the different categories of regulated wastes. We've got asbestos there, and it's a category two regulated waste. 

So self removal. So generally speaking, the 10 square meter, if you, if you're staying within that 10 square meter rule it should remain less than 175 kilograms in weight. But be mindful that different asbestos materials are of different densities. So why that 175 kilogram level is important is because that's the threshold for when regulated waste transport licensing is required. So, if you start moving start removing large volumes and this is what our commercial operators should all be holding those who are doing that large scale asbestos removal, they should also be licensed transporters and holding an environmental authority, which is essentially a licence to transport that. Now, waste tracking is the other element that coincides. Now there's a 250 kilogram threshold for that on a non-commercial basis. So there's no threshold for commercial transportation. So every single commercial operator who transports asbestos is required to complete waste tracking. Now what waste tracking is, it's an administrative function. It enables a department to have oversight over where those regulated waste, where those high hazard wastes are being generated, who is transporting them and where they're going. So again, that 10 square meter rule, and given if you are doing it on your own, should put you below that threshold.

So then we get to the disposal piece. Asbestos cannot be recycled—just don't! 

The best way to identify a licensed disposal site is via that Asbestos Safety Queensland website. It's a very valuable source. But just because you identify a site, don't assume that they'll take it. So always contact the facility beforehand. Some facilities will have special rules about when you can bring it in. They'll only accept it in certain hours of the day or on certain days. And the reason is, is because there's special burial requirements for that. So they won't put it just on the normal tip face where it can be driven over by heavy equipment. And the wrapping broken apart, it'll be buried, it'll be safely managed once it's received on site. And it does need to be wrapped no matter how small.

You can use wrapping or you can simply use a good plastic bag. But it needs to be of a decent quality that it's not going to accidentally tear. So not sort of a small freezer bag or something like that. A good quality plastic bag that's going to be managed. And once you attend, once you've confirmed that you can attend that landfill do follow their instructions when you get to the landfill gate, because sometimes they may have special areas where they put the asbestos. So if you are used to traveling off to the same location to dispose of your waste, that may be different now that you've got some asbestos to dispose, to dispose of. So just to summarise the Asbestos Queensland website is your friend. There is a lot of information available on that site. It cannot be recycled. It must be disposed—not in your red top wheelie bin. Take it to that licence waste disposal facility. And then of course, if you have any questions or concerns, either contact the department or the Office of Industrial Relations, the asbestos safety regulator at any time. Thank you very much.

Thanks, Tim. I'm sure we're all much wiser about waste, especially regulated waste, after your presentation. Thanks to everyone who's already submitted questions. If you haven't done so yet, or you have some more questions, please type your name and question in the Q&A chat box to the right of your screen.

Our panel has settled back into their chairs—time now for your questions. Thank you for submitting these. We really appreciate your input.

The first question is from Sally for Colin. Sally asks, "How can I find out where my nearest NATA laboratory is?"

Yeah, thanks, Chris, and thanks for the question, Sally. So, it's a really good one to get us started with. Quite simply, a plug for the asbestos website—once again, we've done this a number of times through the presentation today. There is a link direct to the NATA asbestos website. Alternatively, in your search function, you can search nata.com.au, and then in their search function on the website, if you type in 'asbestos testing', that'll bring up the full list of NATA-accredited laboratories for asbestos testing.

They'll also have the addresses and telephone numbers there. So, give them a call and see where they can help you out. As well, in terms of collecting samples, they'll be able to give you advice if there's anything you are completely unsure about.

Alright, thanks, Colin.

Next up, a question from Matthew for Dustin. He would like to know, "What does WHSQ say to people who are concerned about the health impacts of occupying buildings that contain ACM?"

Well, thanks, Matthew, for the question. And it's a good question. I live in a home that contains asbestos. It's a beautiful old hundred-year-old home, and during the renovations over the years, many of the wall linings are asbestos. I have my three children in that home. I'm not concerned at all because the asbestos is in good condition, and it's sealed.

Businesses have a requirement in the Work Health and Safety Regulation to know where their asbestos is and to manage that asbestos, including ensuring it's in good condition. If the asbestos is in good condition and it's managed, then there will be no airborne asbestos fibres coming from that asbestos-containing material. Thanks, mate.

Next up, a question for Colin. You've got another one, Colin—you might have a busy morning. This is from Tyler. They'd like to know, "Is fit testing for masks required for removal of non-friable asbestos up to 10 square metres?"

Yeah, thanks, Chris, and thanks, Tyler, for the question. So, the answer—I'm assuming that you are in the trade yourself—is yes. With regards to respirators and fit testing, the Australian standard specifies that you should have your fit testing done as a minimum once a year. Also, if you have any facial features that change—if you have wisdom teeth taken out or if you increase or lose weight quite rapidly.

Yes, regardless of whether it's less or more than 10 square metres, or whether it's non-friable or friable, you do require fit testing. It’s also important to note that in addition to your fit testing (for example, through a PortaCount device), you should also do a fit check before you start any asbestos removal work. This involves ensuring that when you place that mask on before you start your work, you have a full seal for that respirator. Additionally, you must ensure you are clean-shaven at all times before putting that respirator on.

Got another question now: "Are there any devices available for homeowners or workers to self-test ACM?"

Well, again, to reiterate what we've talked about in the presentation throughout today: the only sampling and analysis methodology approved through Workplace Health and Safety Queensland is NATA-accredited analysis. So, we strongly recommend that if you're doing any form of testing, this is how you do it:

Collect the sample,

Take it to the laboratory, 

Have it physically analysed by the laboratory, 

And then you'll get a report that tells you whether there's asbestos in that product.

One for Tim from Andy. "It's around the 10 square-metre transport limit, applying per trip. How many trips are you allowed per year? You know, is this a one-off or can you do several trips a year?"

Thank you, Chris. Thank you, Andy. So, the 175-kilogram limit is per movement. There’s no restriction on the number of trips per year—it’s done on a per-movement basis.

“So then, can I ask a follow-up question from that? And it might be from one of the WHSQ guys. If it’s 10 square metres, is that out of the one building or one dwelling? Or is it per day? What’s the 10 square-metre rule? How does that apply?”

The best answer for that, mate, would be per renovation. So—sorry about that. Yeah, the best way to look at it is, if you are hitting that 10 square-metre mark and realise that you’ve got more, then you would need to engage a licensed asbestos removalist. Or, if you’re a homeowner, you would need to complete the required training and get the necessary certification to continue beyond 10 square metres of asbestos removal.

“And if you’re doing it in stages, does that apply as well in stages? Say you’ve done kitchen renovations and you’ve got nine square metres, but you’re clearly going to go over in the next stage of your reno?”

Mate, if you decided this year to renovate your bathroom and removed nine square metres of asbestos, and then saved up to do your kitchen next year, those two renovations aren’t going to be bunched together, if you know what I mean. But if you remove 10 square metres this week and plan on removing another 10 square metres next week to try and circumvent the law, that’s where, if we find evidence of that, we’ll take enforcement action.

Sound advice—and a warning, I guess. Richard, for Matt: "If we have a sample officially tested and asbestos is found, what is the impact for the building owner?”

Thanks, Chris, and thanks for the question, Richard. So, I suppose if we’re talking about a homeowner, if a sample of asbestos is identified, as Dustin mentioned before, if the asbestos is in good condition, sealed, and not being disturbed, it poses a very low risk.

If it’s in an area where you’re likely to disturb it—say you’re doing renovations—then that asbestos will need to be removed. In a commercial setting, any building constructed prior to 1990 is going to need an asbestos register. So, if you find additional asbestos at a commercial site, that’s going to trigger a review of your register and management plan.

I’ve got one for you, Tim. Another one. This comes from Jim: "What should I do if I come across dumped asbestos in a public area? You know, the old dodgy ‘I’ll just throw it on this vacant block over here.’”

Thanks, Chris, and thanks, Jim, for the question. Unfortunately, this still does happen. People tend to just get rid of it very quickly and easily, unfortunately threatening the safety of anyone who may come across it.

Illegal dumping can be tricky in terms of who will actually investigate it. The investigation function is shared across both the state department—like the Department of Environment—and the local government area.

The best thing is to contact one of us. You could either contact your council directly—they’ll be able to investigate—or you can contact the department. We have a pollution hotline that’s available 24 hours a day. You can contact that on 1300 130 372.

We’ve had some success in investigating illegally dumped asbestos. If there are elements of the asbestos that are unique, we can sometimes connect it to a house or a specific job. So, thank you.

Here’s one for Dustin, from Kate: "As Aussies, we’re not fond of dobbing, but what should I do if I see a neighbour using a high-pressure water blaster on an asbestos roof? And I’m positive that’s what they’re doing up there.”

Mate, in this case, dobbing is really necessary because the asbestos fibres spread all over the yard and neighbouring properties. They don’t go anywhere and will become friable when disturbed.

It’s a massive problem, and we encourage people to report it to Workplace Health and Safety Queensland via the 1300 number on our website: 1300 362 128.

When people get caught doing high-pressure water blasting, they often do a runner, because the clean-up costs are so expensive.

Before you engage anyone, snap a photo of them on the roof, try to get a photo of their vehicle and registration plate—if it’s safe to do so—and, if you feel safe, get their attention and ask them to stop. Then, contact us as quickly as possible and let us respond to the incident.

Fair enough. Let’s look at you, Matt. This is from Lorell: "What is the most recent item of building product that has been found to contain asbestos? You know, we’re all a bit concerned about where asbestos might be contained, and we had a great presentation on the possible locations. But what’s the latest one that, you know, perhaps we should be wary of?”

Well, thanks for the question, Lorell. As we know, in Australia, asbestos was completely prohibited on the 31st of December 2003. So, any modern products constructed in Australia shouldn’t have asbestos.

In terms of products that have come to our attention, we do get some things that slip through borders every now and then. For example, we’ve found asbestos in gaskets and in some cement sheets.

Around the home, I think it’s important to be aware that textured coatings and textured paints in older properties can contain asbestos. It’s really about reiterating the importance of visiting the website, familiarising yourself with what asbestos looks like and where it might be. We’ve also got a good product library that you can refer to. Thanks.

Matt and Brian would like to know: "Do I need to get asbestos tested before a contractor comes to my home?”

So, with this one, as a homeowner, you are not under any legal obligation to have an asbestos register or locate it for the contractor.

However, you might want to be prudent and do some testing before you bring a tradesperson in. By all means, you can pass that information on to them and have a chat. But it’s important to know that any tradesperson coming to your house to do work has a duty under workplace health and safety legislation to identify asbestos in their work area before they start.

Certainly, if I live in a pre-1990 building, I would be having a good chat with any tradesperson who comes to my house, discussing how they’re going to identify asbestos before they start and what their procedures are going to be.

“So, the onus is back on the contractor?”

Absolutely, yes. They’re a worker, and your house becomes their workplace while they’re there. So, they have obligations under workplace health and safety legislation.

Let’s have a look at our next question.

Brian, for Matt. "Do I need..." we’ve had this one. Let’s move on to Dustin. Matthew would like to know: "What’s a word of advice in general from WHSQ about asbestos and people in their homes?"

Just general advice from each of you, perhaps.

Yeah, look, I think with regards to asbestos, we all know that it’s a case of respecting it.

We need to make sure that if we have asbestos in our home or suspect it may be there, we must treat it with respect.

There are many safe work procedures that we’ve discussed over the last hour or so to ensure that asbestos is taken care of properly. For example, if you’re planning to remove asbestos, never attempt more than 10 square metres under uncontrolled conditions.

For me, the main takeaway is to respect asbestos that could be in your home—or that you suspect may be—until you’ve had testing completed.

I’d take that further. As we’ve discussed, businesses have requirements to manage asbestos if it’s in their buildings. This includes knowing where it is and ensuring it’s in good condition.

For homeowners, it’s good to have a plan. What will happen if a cricket ball goes through an asbestos wall or if there’s a breakage? It’s important to get it sealed as quickly as possible. Having a plan in place to address such situations—not just leaving dust lying around or putting it on a to-do list—is essential.

Matt, one quick piece of advice.

Really for me, just reiterate, if you've got a pre 1990 home asbestos could be lurking anywhere, familiarise yourself, know where asbestos could be or what it can look like. If in doubt, treat the areas containing asbestos improvemen. And just always take that into consideration. If you're planning a reno at your home,

Tim, transport and the environment, give us a tip. One quick take home message.

I think it's just it plan everything before you do anything. Yeah. So have a good, have a good understanding of what sort of volumes we're you're looking to get rid of. And then you'll know what will then apply.

Okay. We’ll sneak this one last question in for you, Colin, because Ryan’s been waiting for it: "As a contractor, are we able to cut a small 65-millimetre hole into an asbestos wall when installing an air conditioner?”

Yeah, thanks, Ryan—a really good question. Look, the first thing to do is to get an understanding of what the material is. First and foremost, collect a sample and have it analysed to determine if it’s fibre cement or low-density board material.

But to cut to the chase: regardless of whether it’s non-friable or low-density board, if you’re looking at a 65-millimetre hole, that’s too big for a non-asbestos removal contractor.

So, I would recommend going to the professionals—either an A or B class contractor—to help with any holes of this size.

Alright, we’ll wrap it up there. I’d just like to say thank you to all of today’s presenters—Colin, Matt, Dustin, and Tim—for your invaluable input into the Q&A session.

And to all of you for joining us, thank you. We hope this session has been informative and given you some extra information regarding asbestos and its handling.

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Thanks again for joining us. Enjoy the rest of your day. And remember: as always, Work safe, Home safe.