Friable Asbestos Removal in Canberra

Friable asbestos is material in powder form, or that can be crumbled, pulverised or reduced to a powder by hand pressure when dry: WorkSafe ACT gives pipe lagging, limpet and fire door cores as examples. Only a Class A asbestos removal licence holder can remove it in the ACT.

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What friable asbestos removal in Canberra actually involves

For friable removal at a home, an independent licensed asbestos assessor must monitor the air, starting immediately before the work and continuing while it is carried out. When the work is finished, the same independent assessor issues a clearance certificate before the area is re-occupied, and where air was monitored it must show asbestos below 0.01 fibres/mL.

A bare room of an older house with a sealed enclosure of clear plastic sheeting taped at the seams, a white sign on it reading CAUTION ASBESTOS, and a grey extraction unit connected by a flexible duct — friable asbestos removal, Canberra. Illustrative example.

Enclosure and what to do if it crumbles

The ACT's How to Safely Remove Asbestos Code of Practice, in force under the Work Health and Safety Act, says friable asbestos removal requires enclosures designed to stop airborne asbestos spreading from the work area. If you have found something crumbly, do not touch or move it: call a licensed asbestos assessor, who will confirm whether it is asbestos and tell you what to do next.

Friable removal and non-friable removal are different licence classes in the ACT, and a Class B licence holder cannot remove friable material. The assessment page covers the assessor's part.

Asbestos removal costs and rules check