TECHNICAL ISSUE DISCUSSION Dave Peckitt, Senior Scientific Officer

Technical Basis for reforms  Derived primarily from MWHS 2011 Codes:  How to Control and Manage Asbestos in the Workplace  How to Safely Remove Asbestos  Retains prohibitions from existing HAR–some flexibility  Dovetail with:  Environmental Protection (Controlled Waste) Regulations 2004  Contaminated Sites Act 2003  Varied to cover wider range of scenarios & to afford greater public protection & rural needs

Main areas of reform  Mainly relate to ARW, particularly, removal  Requirement for licensed removalist if >10m 2 bonded ACM  Provision for justified exemptions  Notification requirement for <10m 2 removal  Requirement for licensed person for any ‘friable’  Prohibition on relocating AC building  Temporary removal & re-instatement of limited ACM  Pre-demolition asbestos survey/report & AMP

Contd.  Greater prescription of safe work practices – ‘beyond reasonable measures’  Greater enforcement power –act on suspicion, improvement, infringement notices, any ARW,  Others– storage deadlines? rural/remote locations? in situ management ? ………..

Requirement for licensed removalist for >10m 2 bonded ACM  10m² is the figure used nationally by OHS  Whilst arbitrary it an accepted threshold  If different, how high or low- or none?  <10m² potentially low risk versus cost of removalist e.g. for very small job  Inconsistency with OHS - undesirable

Provision for justified exemptions  Based on risk, remoteness, competence, etc,  Would apply to fences, & low risk situations  Guidance, templates & checklists to be provided  Additional work to LG as approving body?

Notification requirement for <10m 2 removal  Some LG favour a permit system for removal of <10m² of bonded ACM - any amount  EHD considers permit system too ambitious.  Foreseeable admin, resource& compliance issues  Prefer education or at most, a notification system (which would allow info provision & monitor/auditing)  In any case EHD will provide tools for agreed process

Temporary removal & re-instatement of limited ACM  Would allow access to areas behind/under bonded ACM e.g. wall panels & fences-  Required access to a service, or rear of property,  Code proposes <6m² max but WorkSafe prohibits reinstallation, once removed  Probably best to be consistent with OHS and not allow this?  If no re-instatement then notification required

Requirements for demolition of buildings  To include:  Survey & report  Providing report to demolisher & approving authority  Found or suspect ACM subject to management plan  Inspection of debris after demolition for ACM  Goes beyond 2005 and 2011 Codes  Some LG already have pre demo survey requirements  EHD hopes to also engage with Building Commission

Other Issues …………………… I’ll stop at this point thanks for your patience!