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HAPTA COMPLIANCE ASBESTOS

So what is Asbestos?

Asbestos is a term for a group of 6 Naturally Occurring Mineral Fibres belonging to 2 Groups:

Serpentine Group – comprised of only chrysotile (white asbestos)
Amphibole Group – comprised of anthophyllite, amosite (brown asbestos or grey asbestos), crocidolite (blue asbestos), tremolite, and actinolite.

Between 1930 and 1983, approximately 1.5 million tonnes of all forms of asbestos was imported into Australia, this was due to its versatility and in excess of over 3000 applications within many industries worldwide.

Asbestos containing materials (ACMs) can be categorised as friable and non-friable. Non-friable asbestos, where it is mixed with other materials like cement, is the type most commonly found in our built environment. Friable asbestos is more likely to become airborne.

Both friable and non-friable asbestos pose a significant health risk to all workers and others if the materials are not properly maintained or removed carefully. In the built environment, potential health risks are posed where there is:

  • The presence of ambient levels of asbestos
  • Weathering of ACMs
  • The presence of damaged ACMs
  • Building and/or maintenance work involving ACMs and
  • Demolition and/or removal of ACMs.

The risk of exposure from the built environment is broad, with the potential to impact the entire Australian community.

Asbestos in Australian Homes

Approximately one third of all homes built in Australia contain asbestos products. As a general rule, if your house was built before the mid-1980s, it is highly likely that it would have some asbestos containing materials. If your house was built between the mid-1980s and 1990, it is likely that it would have asbestos containing materials.

The use of ACMs in the home has been extensive and there are many areas in the home where ACMs can be found including (but not limited to):

  • Roof sheeting and capping
  • Guttering
  • Gables, eaves/soffits water pipes and flues
  • Wall sheeting (flat or a weatherboard style
  • Vinyl sheet flooring
  • Carpet and tile underlays
  • Zelemite backing boards to the switchboards
  • Flexible building boards
  • Imitation brick cladding
  • Fencing
  • Carports and sheds
  • Waterproof membrane
  • Telecommunications pits
  • Some window putty
  • Expansion joints
  • Packing under beams
  • Concrete formwork

It is not possible to determine whether a material contains asbestos by simply looking at it, the only way to be sure is to get a sample of the material tested at an NATA approved asbestos testing laboratory i.e. Bureau Veritas.

We can help with the following Asbestos Services:

  • Asbestos Auditing
  • Asbestos Testing
  • Asbestos Awareness Training
  • Asbestos Removal Training

Contact HAPTA Compliance Today for a FREE No Obligation Quote or even if you just want to have a quick chat about your Asbestos concerns/obligations.

Why Work with HAPTA Compliance?

This service (pre-audit program) identifies gaps in management systems and highlights areas that need improvement. This service helps organisations understand their Australian and International compliance requirements.

This service is built around a set of national audit guidelines based on AS/NZS 4801:2001. It defines the criteria that relevant Industry Regulators will use within their jurisdictions to assess HS&E management systems.

This service is based on legislative compliance to assist with identifying, assessing and controlling workplace risks. It is designed to help lay the foundations for a systematic approach to managing your compliance requirements.

This service is designed to benchmark properties against their Risk and WHS parameters, while scoring the property for risk and compliance. The program assists owners, managers and supervisors involved in the management of facilities, buildings and other property, to demonstrate due diligence and achieve compliance through practical risk control recommendations.

This service looks at and identifies the educational requirements that staff (workers) require to do their job safely and in accordance with legislative requirements. We can offer or arrange any relevant course which can be done either online or face to face (Onsite and/or offsite throughout Australia and across the globe).