2020 is peeping from around the corner and perhaps it may be nudging you to ask if you have proper asbestos management plans in place to keep your property safe and your workers protected.
Safe Work enjoins asbestos management and control
Asbestos is a matter of concern given its high-risk factor. Unfortunately one cannot wish it away. The material is all too pervasive since it was used so widely in construction before the ban came into effect. If your property has asbestos in it in one form or the other you will have to carry out risk assessment followed by asbestos management plans to contain or remove asbestos, whichever is feasible. It is also necessary under the law to maintain an asbestos register and show compliance. It is for your good and for the safety of workers, contract labor and visitors. Engage a professional to carry out the assessment and then prepare and put in place a proper plan to manage asbestos in your property.
The plan
A typical plan develops following a risk assessment during which the professional identifies the presence of asbestos, location, type of asbestos, present condition and threat factor. The plan and action under it are contingent on these factors.
- Asbestos that is encapsulated or otherwise covered with protective coating is relatively safe but then natural disaster or a man-made act may result in breaking of asbestos and dispersal of fibers in the air in which case the plan defines a course of action and control measures.
- You will need to train workers and other employees on asbestos risks, handling asbestos if it becomes necessary and related safety processes.
The asbestos management plans Nz is not just about staying safe but also an outline for control measures.
Control measures to implement in 2020
Your present situation may be assumed to be safe. However, you never know when accidents happen and expose people to asbestos. The better way going forward in 2020 is to take action under the plan to control or simply remove asbestos wherever practical and feasible.
- Call in the expert to carry out an evaluation once again. The first priority should be to remove asbestos entirely from interiors wherever practical. It is always better to remove the risk of asbestos rather than live with it and then regret any untoward incident.
- Failing this your asbestos inspector will assist with better encapsulation, coating or sealing using appropriate materials. This contains and controls the threat.
- Retrain your employees on safe practices such as avoiding the use of water spray or compressed air on asbestos compounded materials.
You can ignore asbestos and let sleeping dogs lie. However, there is no saying when the dormant threat goes live and by then it may be too late to do anything about it. Take a fresh look at asbestos management plans for 2020 and you will thank yourself.
