Asbestos Inspections
Safe Environments is a Type A inspection body accredited by NATA (accreditation No: 17139) and complies with the requirements of AS/NZS ISO.IEC 17020 (2000) for the inspection of hazardous materials including asbestos.
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 inspections are required for buildings that are likley to contain asbestos. The NSW OHS regulation requires that all buildings suspected of containing asbestos materials must have asbestos inspections conducted. However not all asbestos inspections are the same. The type of asbestos inspections during occupation will be different to the type of asbestos inspections required before rennovations.
Types of Asbestos Inspections
Safe Environments provide three types of asbestos inspections that include location and assessment asbestos inspections (Type 1 & 2) along with demolition asbestos inspections (Type 3).
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Type 1 – Location and assessment asbestos inspections (presumptive asbestos inspections)
Type 1 Presumptive Asbestos Inspections are undertaken by idenitifying suspected asbestsm materials without taking samples. The type 1 asbestos inspection presumes that the material contains asbestos. The presumtive asbestos inspection reduces the cost by defering asbestos testing before demolition or refurbishment. A risk assessment based on the material condition is tabulated as part of an asbestos register compliant with NSW legislation.
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Type 2 – Location and assessment asbestos inspections (sampling asbestos inspections)
Type 2 Sampling Asbestos Inspections are similar to Type 1 presumptive asbestos inspections however; representative samples of the suspected asbestos containing material are collected for asbestos testing. Asbestos testing at the time of asbestos inspections generally save expense in the longer term as special precautions and expensive maintenance procedures are not required if no asbestos is detected in the material.
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Type 3 – Full access sampling and identification asbestos inspections (pre demolition/major refurbishment asbestos inspections)
Type 3 Demolition Asbestos Inspections provide the location of the asbestos within the building that are required to be removed before demolition. Demolition asbestos inspections are intended to partially comply with the hazardous materials auditing procedure (clause 1.6) of AS 2601 Demolition of Structures. The demolition asbestos inspection includes inspections of wall cavities and other areas not accessible when the building was occupied.
The results of asbestos inspections are tabulated with an asbestos register and are an essential part of an asbestos management plan. Asbestos inspections should be conducted on an annual basis, or sooner if the asbestos containing material has been disturbed or removed, to re assess the potential risk to health.
