Asbestos Check strongly recommends that only a qualified asbestos consultant should carry out an asbestos inspection.
A qualified asbestos consultant will identify those materials likely to contain asbestos, take samples to confirm if the material contains asbestos and most importantly, conduct a risk assessment of the material based on the likelihood of the material to release fibres under current conditions.
The two main types of asbestos inspections include management asbestos inspections and refurbishment and demolition asbestos inspections.
Management Asbestos Inspections
Asbestos management inspections are conducted by an asbestos consultant who will assess the premises and identify materials that are likely to contain asbestos. The materials are listed within an asbestos register along with a risk assessment, location and representative photos. Management asbestos inspections include presumptive asbestos inspections and sampling asbestos inspections.
Presumptive asbestos inspections presume that the material contains asbestos whereas sampling asbestos inspections require that the asbestos consultant take samples. The samples are then analysed at a laboratory to determine the presence and type of asbestos.
However, not all suspected materials will contain asbestos. Depending on the type of building, age and construction, 40% - 80% of samples may contain asbestos. While sampling inspections are more expensive initially, they are more cost effective in the long term as those materials, which do not contain asbestos are no longer a risk, saving money in maintenance, repair and eventual demolition.
Refurbishment and Demolition Asbestos Inspections
Refurbishment and demolition inspections are carried out to identify and remove asbestos materials to eliminate the risk of exposure to workers and the surrounding environment during the execution of the work. Samples are tested to determine if the materials contain asbestos. Refurbishment and demolition asbestos inspections are required even when management asbestos inspections have been carried out. Refurbishment and demolition asbestos inspections also include inspecting the building fabric to find hidden materials within wall cavities, which may involve partial destruction of the finishes and are carried out when the building is not occupied, prior to the actual demolition or refurbishment.
Who should conduct asbestos inspections?
Only NATA accredited asbestos inspection bodies should be engaged to undertake the inspection. Safe Environments is a Type A inspection body accredited by NATA and complies with the requirements of AS/NZS ISO.IEC 17020 (2000) for asbestos inspections. Safe Environments conducts asbestos inspections in NSW, Sydney, Victoria, Melbourne, ACT and Canberra.
Safe Environments asbestos inspection reports are produced in accordance with the requirements of the National Occupational Health and Safety Commission Code of Practice for the Management and Control of Asbestos in Workplaces [NOHSC:2018(2005)].
Asbestos Check provides commercial and domestic clients with extensive asbestos inspection services including asbestos identification, testing and management.
