Managing Legacy Asbestos in Australian Workplaces: A Practical Guide for Employers

Australia’s Asbestos Legacy

Australia was one of the world’s highest per-capita users of asbestos, particularly in the construction boom years of the 1950s through 1980s. Asbestos was incorporated into more than 3,000 building products — fibro cement sheeting (asbestos cement), roof shingles, floor tiles, pipe lagging, gaskets, textured coatings, and spray-applied fire protection — because of its exceptional fire resistance, tensile strength, and chemical inertness.

The importation, manufacture, and use of all forms of asbestos was banned in Australia from 31 December 2003. However, the millions of tonnes of asbestos already installed in buildings across the country remain in place. An estimated one-third of residential properties built before 1987 contain asbestos-containing materials (ACM), and virtually all commercial and industrial buildings constructed before 2003 are likely to contain ACM somewhere.

This legacy creates ongoing legal obligations for building owners and employers, and ongoing health risks for tradespeople and workers who disturb ACM during renovation, maintenance, and demolition activities.

Health Effects of Asbestos Exposure

All forms of asbestos — chrysotile (white), amosite (brown), crocidolite (blue), tremolite, actinolite, and anthophyllite — are human carcinogens (IARC Group 1). The diseases caused by asbestos exposure include:

• Mesothelioma: A cancer of the pleural or peritoneal lining, almost exclusively caused by asbestos exposure. Australia has one of the highest mesothelioma rates in the world — approximately 700 new cases annually. Latency period is typically 30–50 years after first exposure. Median survival after diagnosis is 12–18 months.
• Lung cancer: Asbestos exposure multiplies the lung cancer risk of smoking. A smoker with significant asbestos exposure has an approximately 50-fold elevated lung cancer risk compared to a non-smoking, non-exposed person.
• Asbestosis: Diffuse pulmonary fibrosis from prolonged heavy asbestos inhalation. Causes progressive breathlessness and respiratory failure. Largely a historical diagnosis in workers from the manufacturing and mining eras, but cases still present with long latency.
• Pleural plaques and diffuse pleural thickening: Benign pleural reactions indicating past asbestos exposure. Not themselves malignant, but markers of exposure and indicators of elevated cancer risk.

There is no safe threshold for asbestos-related cancer. The risk is proportional to cumulative dose, but even very brief exposures carry some risk — particularly from amphibole forms (amosite, crocidolite). However, the risk from brief, low-level exposure to in-situ, non-friable ACM (e.g., undisturbed fibro cement sheeting) is very low.

The Legal Framework: WHS Regulations Part 8.3

Part 8.3 of the WHS Regulations 2017 creates a comprehensive framework for asbestos management in workplaces. Key obligations include:

Asbestos Register

The person with management or control of a workplace (PCBU) must ensure that an asbestos register is prepared for any workplace built before 31 December 2003 (unless the workplace is clearly free of ACM). The register must:

• Identify the location, type, and condition of all asbestos and ACM at the workplace
• Be reviewed at least every 5 years, or when new ACM is identified or ACM is removed
• Be accessible to workers, HSRs, WHS inspectors, and anyone likely to disturb the ACM
• Be retained for 5 years after the building is demolished

A workplace that “cannot be confirmed” as asbestos-free must have a register. The obligation to prepare the register rests on the PCBU with management or control of the workplace — typically the building owner or occupier for owned premises, and the building manager for leased premises.

Asbestos Management Plan

Where ACM is identified in a workplace, an asbestos management plan must also be prepared. The plan must:

• Document how the risk from ACM will be managed (in-situ management or removal)
• Identify the person responsible for managing the asbestos
• Describe procedures for dealing with incidents involving asbestos
• Include a schedule for reviewing the condition of ACM and removing deteriorating or damaged material

Licensed Asbestos Removalists

Asbestos removal is categorised under Australian regulations:

• Class A licence: Required for removal of any amount of friable asbestos, and bonded ACM >10 m² in area (or in a school or childcare facility)
• Class B licence: Required for removal of bonded (non-friable) ACM ≤10 m² (excluding schools and childcare facilities)
• Unlicensed removal: Permitted only for incidental disturbance of <10 m² of non-friable ACM as part of other work (e.g., a plumber or electrician briefly disturbing a small area of fibro cement to access services)

For asbestos identification — determining whether a material contains asbestos — the regulations allow this to be done by visual identification in some cases, but laboratory analysis (polarised light microscopy or transmission electron microscopy by a NATA-accredited laboratory) is the only definitive method. A licensed asbestos assessor can collect samples and arrange NATA-accredited analysis.

When Is Asbestos a Problem in Practice?

The key principle in asbestos management is the distinction between:

• ACM in good condition, not likely to be disturbed: Leave in place, monitor, document in register. Undisturbed, bonded ACM poses minimal risk because asbestos fibres cannot be released from a solid matrix.
• ACM in poor condition (damaged, deteriorating, friable) or likely to be disturbed by maintenance/renovation: Removal by a licensed removalist is generally the preferred strategy.

The highest-risk scenario for workers is tradespeople who unknowingly disturb ACM — cutting, drilling, grinding, or sanding fibro cement sheeting, tiles, or pipe lagging without respiratory protection or waste management procedures. This scenario accounts for many contemporary asbestos exposures in Australian tradespeople.

Frequently Asked Questions

I have a building permit that says my building is post-2003 — do I still need an asbestos register?

If the building was constructed (not just permitted) after 31 December 2003, and all materials used are clearly asbestos-free, you may not need a register. However, if there is any doubt — for example, if any demolition, extension, or renovation work used salvaged materials — a precautionary inspection is advisable.

What’s the difference between white, brown, and blue asbestos?

Chrysotile (white asbestos) is the most widely used type — curly fibres, used in most Australian fibro cement products. Amosite (brown) and crocidolite (blue) are amphibole forms with needle-like fibres that are more biopersistent and more strongly associated with mesothelioma. All are banned in Australia and all are carcinogenic — the colour distinction matters most in terms of relative risk, not in terms of regulatory requirements.