Removing asbestos in workplaces - Compliance ... - WorkSafe Victoria

Paraoccupational air monitoring andclearance inspections409. For removal jobs involving an enclosed area, paraoccupational air monitoringneeds to be done following completion of the removal work both prior to andafter removal of the enclosure.410. Where fibre levels are found to be equal to or greater than 0.01 fibres/ml,further clean-up work (such as wet wiping and vacuuming of the area) musttake place. The area must then be re-tested to establish the fibre levels areless than 0.01 fibres/ml.Non-friable asbestos removal work411. The Regulations do not require any form of air monitoring for non-friableasbestos removal work. However, the person who commissioned the removalwork needs to consider providing paraoccupational air monitoring duringremoval of non-friable ACM that is being done in or next to a public location.The results of this monitoring may assist in addressing any potential concernsraised by persons occupying these areas.Clearance to re-occupy an asbestos removal areaWhat is a clearance certificate?412. A clearance certificate is a written statement confirming the asbestos removalarea and the area surrounding it have been cleaned satisfactorily and are safeto be re-occupied (by unprotected persons) for normal use.When must a clearance certificate be obtained?413. A clearance certificate must be obtained prior to any person re-occupyingthe area where removal work has been done in relation to:• any quantity of friable ACM, or• non-friable ACM greater than 10 square metres.414. If a clearance certificate has not been obtained, the area where the removalwork was done must not be re-occupied. For example, at a site containingnon-friable ACM where demolition is to take place, the ACM must be removed,so far as is reasonably practicable, before demolition work starts. A clearancecertificate must then be issued before the area can be re-occupied fordemolition or other work.415. At a work site such as a factory where asbestos removal work is taking place,the removal work cannot be stopped to allow employees, the owner of thefactory or anyone else (other than those persons specified in paragraph 259)to enter the removal area prior to a clearance certificate being issued.Who must obtain a clearance certificate?416. The person who commissioned the removal work (not the licensed removalist)must obtain a clearance certificate from an independent person (see page 70).The exception to this is when removal is conducted in domestic premises usedsolely for domestic purposes (and the person who commissioned the removal isthe owner of the premises). In this case, the licensed removalist must obtain theclearance certificate.68 Compliance code / Removing asbestos in workplaces WorkSafe Victoria