Most asbestos containing materials in your home are safe if they're in good
condition and unlikely to be damaged or disturbed. However, asbestos poses a serious
health risk if damaged, weathered or worked on. Learn about the different forms of
asbestos, where you might find it, how you can identify it, how be safe around it and what
you have to do when disposing of it.
There are two types of asbestos
Friable asbestos material when dry it can be crumbled, pulverised or reduced to a
powder in the hand.
Non-friable asbestos material when dry it cannot be crumbled, pulverised or
reduced to a powder by hand pressure. It is mixed with cement or other bonding
materials and is also known as bonded asbestos.
Non-friable asbestos can become friable asbestos if the asbestos is damaged or old.
If your house was built before 1990, it probably has asbestos-containing materials. Asbestos materials in and around the home are often best left alone if they are in good condition and unlikely to get damaged.
To remove any amount of friable asbestos, or more than 10 square metres of non-friable
asbestos from your home, the asbestos removal contractor that you engage must be
licensed.
If you think you’ve found asbestos-containing materials in soil in your garden, take the same
precautions as if you’ve found it inside the house. Contact a licensed asbestos assessor.
Be cautious if you accept free fill (soil excavated from one site and used as a base material
on another site). It may contain asbestos.
If you accept contaminated waste onto your property, you are responsible for clean-up
costs and managing environmental pollution.
You can only dispose of asbestos waste at a landfill that’s licensed to accept it.
Find out about waste facilities that will accept asbestos in your region.
Phone first - always contact the landfill in advance to check:
whether asbestos is accepted
any requirements for delivery
Some places require 24 hours’ notice. They may also have rules about how you package
and deliver the asbestos.
We strongly recommend using a licensed asbestos removalist to remove and dispose of
asbestos waste.
Transporting and disposing of asbestos
Non-friable asbestos material must be securely packaged
Friable asbestos material must be kept in a sealed container
Asbestos-contaminated soils must be wetted down
All asbestos waste must be transported in a part of the vehicle that is covered and leak-proof
All asbestos waste must be disposed of at a landfill site that can lawfully receive it.
If you have over 100 kilograms or 10 square metres of asbestos waste to dispose of,
the person transporting the load to the landfill must create a unique consignment
number and report it to the EPA using WasteLocate.
It is illegal to
put asbestos waste in your kerbside bins. It is dangerous for Council staff and can contaminate otherwise recyclable waste streams
put asbestos in an uncovered skip bin or skip bin not approved to hold asbestos
reuse, recycle or illegally dump asbestos products or asbestos contaminated waste not to comply with the requirements listed above
fail to comply with the requirements listed above.
Call the NSW EPA Environment line on 131 555 to report any illegal activity.
Fines of up to $7,500 (individual) and $15,000 (company) apply if you do the wrong thing
with asbestos waste. Penalties of up to $1,000,000 apply if the matter is heard in court.
The EPA or local council can also issue clean-up notices and prevention notices which
require landowners and/or polluters to address pollution incidents. If you are served with a
clean-up notice, you must pay for the cost of cleaning up and safely disposing of the waste.
The handling and storage of asbestos waste at worksites is regulated by SafeWork NSW (formerly WorkCover) under the provisions of the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011.
The storage, disposal and transport of asbestos waste is regulated by the EPA or your
local council under the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 and the
Protection of the Environment Operations (Waste) Regulation 2014
Loose-fill asbestos is raw crushed friable asbestos which was installed as ceiling insulation in some NSW homes in the 1960s and 70s. If you think you may have loose-fill asbestos in your ceiling, do not enter the ceiling space. Contact a licensed asbestos assessor.
If disturbed, asbestos fibres can become airborne and breathed in or ingested, which can
cause health risks.
If your house has have loose-fill asbestos insulation in your home, you may be eligible for
the NSW Government’s Loose-fill Asbestos Voluntary Purchase and Demolition Program and
the associated Assistance Package.
Owners of premises can have their property privately tested by a Licensed Asbestos
Assessor. In the meantime, avoid entering the ceiling space or drilling into walls.
Visit the NSW Fair Trading website to learn more about loose-fill asbestos insulation and the
Program. For more information about how to package asbestos waste, visit www.asbestos.nsw.gov.au.
Comments