DG 18 Home Renovator's on Asbestos(136 kb) - City of Port ...

<strong>Home</strong> Renovators on AsbestosDevelopment Guide No. <strong>18</strong>This Guide is relevant to the City of Port Adelaide Enfield only. Development within other Councilareas may have variations and you should check with the relevant Council before proceeding.Demolition of a building will require Development Approval from Council. Development Approvalcomprises both Development Plan Consent (Planning consent) and Building Rules Consent(Building consent). The application may be made for both consents together or separately.How do you know if yourhouse/building contains asbestos?The most accurate way to find out if your housecontains asbestos cement products or any otherasbestos containing material is for experiencedpeople to inspect and test it. You can’t tell bylooking at it!Only asbestos cement products made before1987 contain asbestos. Other asbestoscontaining products made before the 1980’s maybe found in the home. These include waterdrainage and flue pipes, roofing shingles,guttering, vinyl tiles and the underlay to vinylsheet floors.Since 31 December 2003, the use of all forms ofasbestos has been banned nationally (with only afew very specific exemptions).What are the Health Risks?Asbestos fibres can cause asbestosis, lungcancer and mesothelioma. This does notautomatically mean that your health is at risk ifyou find that your home workplace containsmaterials made form asbestos.Studies show that these products, if leftundisturbed, are not a significant health riskprovided the material is in reasonable condition. Ifthe asbestos fibres remain firmly bound in a solidmatrix, generally you do not need to remove theasbestos containing product. Even weatheredasbestos roofing does not release many airbornefibres unless the material is disturbed or handledin a way that promotes the release of fibres.Health problems usually occur when people areunaware of the hazards of working with asbestoscontaining products. The important point is toalways work so there is minimal release of dust orsmall particles from the asbestos containingmaterial. Asbestos becomes a health risk whenlarge amounts of asbestos fibres are released intothe air and inhaled. If you use commonsense andfollow safety guidelines, living with asbestoscontaining products should not be a problem.If my house/building containsasbestos, what should I do next?Removing asbestos is a specialised task. Alicensed contractor must remove asbestos if theamount is more than the legally allowed quantity(1/2m 2 of friable or 10m 2 of non-friable). You donot need a licence to remove small amounts ofasbestos from houses, buy you should be familiarwith asbestos regulations. Prior to workcommencing ensure that persons are licensedremovalist and have obtained approval for theremoval of any asbestos.Note: Friable asbestos: Any material thatcontains asbestos and is in the form of apowder or can be pulverised or reduced topowder by hand pressure when dry.Non-friable asbestos: Any material thatcontains asbestos in a bonded matrix. Itmay consist of cement or resin/binders andcannot be crushed by hand when dry.Only a licensed contractor should remove theasbestos containing underlay to vinyl sheet floors.A list of licensed contractor can be found via:-http://www.safework.sa.gov.auSafework SA can provide you with the names oforganisation that can perform these tests andinspections.Removing Asbestos from aHouse/BuildingRead the following safety checklist before youstart working. Do not use power tools. Asbestos fibres canbe released if power tools are used foranything other than the removal of screws andbolts. Non-powered tools should be usedinstead as they generate less dust. Do not waterblast or scrub with a stiffbroom. It is illegal to waterblast asbestoscement products. If the material has beenaccidentally waterblasted, or has suddenlydeteriorated in some way, you will need to calla licensed removal contractor.163 St Vincent Street Port Adelaide South Australia • Postal Address • PO Box 110 Port Adelaide SA 5015 Page 1 of 3Telephone (08) 8405 6600 • Website www.portenf.sa.gov.au Updated – 28 May 13

City of Port Adelaide Enfield Development Guide No. <strong>18</strong> Wet gently with water if you need to. If youneed to prepare a surface for painting, gentlyremove any loose paint with a scraper,keeping the surface wet to minimise therelease of fibres. You could use sugar soapto clean the surface.Remember do not waterblast and be carefulwhen on a roof as asbestos sheets are brittleand slippery when wet. It is also veryimportant that you treat any waste createdduring the preparation of the surface, as if it iscontaminated with asbestos. Avoid drilling around the roof area. Do notdrill holes through eaves, flues or vents.Never cut into an asbestos cement sheet. Ifan occasional hole is required use a nonpowereddrill and wear a mask. If significantwork is required it is advisable to remove theentire sheet and replace it with a nonasbestosproduct. Let people know. Talk it over with those whomay be affected by the asbestos removal anddisposal, for example, your neighbours. Protective equipment. You should weardisposable coveralls and an appropriate maskif you are working with asbestos products.Make sure your mask has two straps to hold itfirmly in place and is rated as P1 or P2 (yourhardware store can supply these). Do not usea mask that only has one strap. Don’t drop asbestos cement sheets.Remove asbestos sheets carefully. Makesure you lower them carefully to the ground.Do not drop them.Cleaning Up Stack and wrap. Stack sheets carefully onground sheets, wrap into bundles for disposalor place them directly into disposable bins thathave been prelined with some form of sturdyplastic sheeting. Cover them before disposal. No skidding. When stacking sheets, do notskid one sheet over another, as this cancause release of fibres. Remove immediately. Do not leave sheetslying about where they may be further brokenor crushed by people or traffic. Remove allasbestos waste as soon as you can. Clean up everything. Put used disposableoveralls and masks in bags for removal withother asbestos wastes.Safe DisposalDispose of all asbestos waste promptly. Forsafety always: Wet all asbestos waste and wrap it in plasticor put it in lined bins or vehicles. Do not putasbestos waste in domestic garbage bins andcompactors. Remove all asbestos waste froma site as soon as possible. Dispose of asbestos waste in a manner andat a site approved by your local Council or theEnvironmental Protection Authority (EPA).Asbestos waste must be wrapped in thickplastic (200 micron – your hardware store cansupply this) and taped to prevent spillage. Itis illegal to re-use asbestos sheets. Asbestoscan only be dumped at approved disposalsites. The EPA can advise you of the locationof these sites. See ‘Help & Advice’ for contactnumbers.Other things to keep your eye on What about insulation? Insulation materialsin house roof spaces are usually fibreglass,rockwool, paper or foam. Very few houses inSouth Australia have loose asbestosinsulation in the roof space. However, if youare unsure about this you should have itinspected by an experienced person. Is tank water safe? Tank water collectedfrom asbestos cement roofing may containsome asbestos. Drinking this water does notpresent a significant health risk. You mightconsider however, replacing the roof, orperhaps fitting a water filter to the kitchen tap.Should I coat external Asbestoscement products?Coating weathered asbestos cement products isnot recommended. If the product is in poorcondition it should be removed and replaced.Remember: To check if your asbestos roofing (like allroofing) needs to be replaced. Roofing thathas weathered to the point where it isstructurally unsound and no longer waterproofshould be replaced. Due to the brittle andfragile nature of asbestos roofing, it isextremely dangerous to access the roof andyou should use a registered asbestos removalcontactor, particularly when the area isgreater than 10m2. If you need to access the roof, asmentioned above, due to the brittle and fragilenature of the rook, it is extremely dangerousto access the roof, therefore you must putplanks down so that people do not have towalk directly on the roof. Wear full protective masks and overallswhen working with asbestos products. If you must waterproof any asbestos cementproducts, then you must take all necessaryprecautions as outlined in the ‘Code ofPractice for Asbestos Work’.163 St Vincent Street Port Adelaide South Australia • Postal Address • PO Box 110 Port Adelaide SA 5015 Page 2 of 3Telephone (08) 8405 6600 • Website www.portenf.sa.gov.au Updated – 28 May 13

City of Port Adelaide Enfield Development Guide No. <strong>18</strong>Emergency Removal of Asbestos Currently, licensed removalists must obtainapproval from SafeWork SA beforecommencing removal work. In cases ofemergency the new provisions enablenotification to SafeWork SA. This enableswork to be carried out in an emergencysituation where there is an immediate riskto the health and safety and the licensee isunable to contact an Inspector. It is important to note that the contractor musthave tried to contact an Inspector after hourson 1300 365 255 and must remove theasbestos in accordance with the legislativerequirements, which include the ApprovedCodes of Practice.Other Information - Help and AdviceResourcesThe following resources provide more detailedinformation on the safe removal of asbestosproducts: The Occupational Health, Safety & Welfare(Asbestos) Regulations, Variation 2004 –under the Occupational Health, Safety &Welfare Act 1986. Approved Code of Practice for the SafeRemoval of Asbestos. SafeWork SA Website:www.safework.sa.gov.auPlease be advised: The information containedherein is intended as a guide. Further informationon asbestos queries can be obtained fromSafeWork SA – Help & Early Intervention Centreon telephone 1300 365 255 or EnvironmentProtection Authority (EPA) – telephone (08) 82042004.AcknowledgementPort Adelaide Enfield Council acknowledgesSafeWork SA – Help & Early Intervention Centrefor the information in this guide. This guide isbased on SafeWork SA. publications called“Asbestos and the <strong>Home</strong> Renovator” and “NewAsbestos Removal Regulations”.Contact DetailsCivic CentrePO Box 110Port Adelaide SA 5015163 St Vincent Street, Port AdelaideTelephone (08) 8405 6600Email customer.service@portenf.sa.gov.auGreenacres Library – Council Office2 Fosters Road, GreenacresEnfield Library – Council Office1 Kensington Crescent, EnfieldUseful Phone NumbersFor more information about working with asbestoscement products and license queries contact: SafeWork SA – Help & Early InterventionCentreTelephone: 1300 365 255For advice on the disposal of asbestos products inSouth Australia contact: Environment Protection Authority (EPA)Telephone: (08) 8204 2004For their protection building owners are advised toemploy licensed builders and contractors only.If the cost of the construction work exceeds$15,000 the Construction Industry Training Formand levy must be supplied.Building indemnity insurance is required if the costof construction work exceeds $12,000 fordomestic building work and you employ aRegistered Building Work Contractor.163 St Vincent Street Port Adelaide South Australia • Postal Address • PO Box 110 Port Adelaide SA 5015 Page 3 of 3Telephone (08) 8405 6600 • Website www.portenf.sa.gov.au Updated – 28 May 13