Asbestos Management Plan

Asbestos Legislation

The new Health and Safety at Work (Asbestos) Regulations 2016 requires that all PCBU’s (Persons Conducting a Business or an Undertaking) must know their asbestos status and have an asbestos management plan in place by April 2018. A PCBU can be a building owner, property manager, tenant, or a contractor carrying out work.

The mere presence of asbestos in a building does not mean that the health of the building occupants is endangered. When left intact and undisturbed, asbestos-containing materials do not pose a health risk to building occupants. There is, however, potential for exposure when the material becomes damaged or disturbed.

Instead of removing all asbestos containing material upon discovery, legislation now requires an in-place management program for the existing asbestos materials.

Xava can provide you with an Asbestos Management Plan, featuring control measures that appropriately identify and manage the presence of asbestos in your building. Our reports include steps to take if asbestos fibres are accidentally disturbed.

WHAT ELSE DO ASBESTOS MANAGEMENT PLANS CONTAIN?

Worksafe New Zealand requires that the asbestos Management Plans include information about:

• identified asbestos and ACM, for example where any signs and labels are located
• decisions, and reasons for the decisions, about how the asbestos is managed. For example, safe work procedures and control measures
• procedures for detailing incidents or emergencies involving asbestos in the workplace
• information about the workers carrying out asbestos work, including information and training responsibilities, identities of every person with responsibilities under the asbestos management plan and what their responsibilities are;
• the workers carrying out work involving asbestos, including the training and information provided (and will be provided), worker roles and responsibilities, and health monitoring that is, or will be, conducted.

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