Managing an older building? Know where the asbestos is before anyone starts work.
Offices, strata complexes, workshops, schools, retail premises, farm buildings and industrial facilities across Wagga Wagga and the Riverina were built during decades when asbestos was widely used. For businesses and property managers, asbestos isn’t just a safety issue, it’s a legal responsibility under NSW Work Health and Safety laws. A planned, documented approach protects your staff, tenants, contractors and customers, and keeps your projects on schedule.
Asbestos Removal Wagga Wagga helps commercial clients arrange licensed professionals for asbestos identification, removal, waste management and clearance.
Under the NSW Work Health and Safety Regulation 2017, if you manage or control a workplace built before 31 December 2003, or where asbestos has been identified, you have specific duties.
Having asbestos on site doesn’t mean it must be removed. Asbestos in good condition and unlikely to be disturbed is often safely managed in place. What the law requires is that the risk is understood and controlled before anyone disturbs it. SafeWork NSW’s codes of practice, How to manage and control asbestos in the workplace and How to safely remove asbestos, set out these requirements in detail.
Common property in a strata scheme can be a workplace whenever contractors, cleaners or maintenance staff are working there. Owners corporations and strata managers should know where asbestos is located in common areas, keep records accessible, and brief contractors before work begins. This is especially important before painting, re-roofing, balcony or bathroom works, or any upgrades involving meter boards and service ducts, which are common places for asbestos in older buildings.
Planned works are where asbestos obligations matter most. Before refurbishing a workplace, NSW regulations require the asbestos register to be reviewed and any asbestos likely to be disturbed to be identified. Before demolition, asbestos must be identified and, as far as reasonably practicable, removed before the demolition begins. A copy of the asbestos register must be given to the person carrying out the demolition or refurbishment.
Wagga Wagga City Council development consents and complying development certificates for demolition commonly include conditions requiring a hazardous materials survey and proper asbestos management. Building this into your project plan early avoids costly stop-work orders and contractor delays.
Asbestos often surfaces during fit-outs, strip-outs and end-of-lease make-good works. Before starting, check your lease to confirm whether the landlord or tenant is responsible for asbestos found during the works, and request a copy of the building’s asbestos register. Clarifying this upfront helps avoid disputes and unexpected costs.
Commercial asbestos removal follows a strict regulatory process. Friable asbestos must be removed by a Class A licensed removalist, while bonded (non-friable) asbestos over 10 square metres requires a Class A or Class B licence.
The licensed removalist must notify SafeWork NSW at least five days before starting work, prepare an asbestos removal control plan, and inform the person managing the workplace, along with people working in or near the area. The work area must be isolated with barriers and signage.
For friable asbestos removal, a licensed asbestos assessor must carry out air monitoring and issue the clearance certificate. For bonded asbestos, clearance is carried out by an independent competent person. No area should be reoccupied until a clearance certificate has been issued.
All asbestos waste must be sealed, labelled and transported to a facility licensed to accept it. Loads over 100 kilograms or 10 square metres must be tracked through the NSW EPA’s Integrated Waste Tracking Solution (IWTS), giving you a documented chain of custody for your records.
We understand that your business needs to keep running. Removal can often be scheduled out of hours, on weekends, during shutdowns or in stages to keep tenants, staff and customers away from work areas. Your contractor will explain access requirements, work windows and any areas that need to be vacated.
To help us arrange the right contractor, please share the building type and approximate age, the location of the suspected material, the planned works, site access details, the number of occupants, any preferred work windows, and a copy of your asbestos register or previous reports if available.
Your appointed contractor should then provide a written scope explaining the licence class required, SafeWork NSW notification, work-area controls, waste handling and disposal, air monitoring where needed, and the clearance process for your specific project.
If asbestos has been damaged, such as through storm damage, fire, vehicle impact or accidental disturbance during works, stop all work in the area immediately and keep people clear. Don’t attempt an informal clean-up, sweep or vacuum with a standard vacuum cleaner. Seek qualified advice as soon as possible. An uncontrolled release of asbestos may need to be reported to SafeWork NSW on 13 10 50.
Planning works or managing an older building? Call 0480 850 340 or request a commercial quote online, and we’ll help connect you with a licensed local contractor.