Your business needs an asbestos register NSW to ensure both the safety of your employees and the compliance of your business with asbestos regulations.
Your asbestos registers work in tandem with your asbestos management plan, making it all the more important that your asbestos registers are kept up to date. If your asbestos registers aren’t kept up to date, your asbestos management plan is informed by dated information, rendering it ineffective.
What is an asbestos register?
An asbestos register is a document that lists the details of identified asbestos containing materials (ACMs) in a workplace. These details include:
- Date of identification
- Type of ACM
- Whether the asbestos is friable or non friable
- The condition of the ACM
- The specific location
- Whether or not the area is accessible
It is the responsibility of the workplace manager to either update and maintain the register themselves, or hire a qualified professional to perform that duty instead.
What must an asbestos register do in order to be effective?
In order to be effective, a register must:
- record any ACM that has been identified or is assumed to be present at the workplace
- record the date when the ACM was identified
- record the location, type and condition of the ACM
- be maintained to ensure up-to-date information
- state if no ACMs have been identified
- be given to the employer or business (or other PCBU), when there is a change of management or controller of the workplace
When don’t you need an asbestos register in New South Wales?
The only instance in which you don’t need a register for ACMs in New South Wales is if your workplace;
- Is in a building constructed after the 31st of December 2003 (the cut off date for when asbestos in construction was banned by the Australian Government)
- Has not had any ACMs identified
- Is not likely to have ACMs present in it at any time
What is an asbestos management plan?
An asbestos management plan is a document that outlines a written plan for identifying and managing ACMs within the workplace.
It is the responsibility of a person who has management or control of the workplace to devise the management plan, which is informed by the register.
All management plans in New South Wales for ACMs are subject to the regulations present in Work Health and Safety Regulation 2017, which states;
- When this clause applies (i.e. if an ACM has been, or is like to be, identified in a workplace)
- Who is responsible for devising and updating the management plan
- The information that the management plan must contain
- The stakeholders that must be given access to the management plan at all times
Where can I go for more information on asbestos registers in New South Wales?
There are a variety of resources available if you’re looking for more information on asbestos registers in New South Wales, including;
Can Octfolio help with asbestos registers in New South Wales?
Octfolio is a robust software solution that, among many other asbestos management features, helps you keep your registers up to date, as well as accessible to all important stakeholders.
