Keep your asbestos register and asbestos management plan up to date

Posted by CesarMuler on April 22nd, 2014

Asbestos is dangerous and there is no doubting this statement. Asbestos fibres can be easily inhaled and they get lodged inside the lungs. And the result can be cancer. Prolonged exposure to asbestos can also thicken the linings of the lungs and squeeze the lung so that one faces breathing issues. Thus, there are stringent laws related to the presence of asbestos in homes and work areas. For workplaces that contain asbestos, it is important that an asbestos register is maintained. Additionally, there is also the requirement for an asbestos management plan. Asbestos registers and asbestos management plans are prepared simultaneously. But they are different documents that need to be maintained separately.

The requirement for maintaining an asbestos register and asbestos management plan is mandated by the Work Health & Safety Regulation of 2011. However, there are two conditions where your workplace doesn’t need to maintain asbestos registers and asbestos management plans – 1. If a survey of your workplace didn’t reveal the presence of asbestos and 2. If the construction of your workplace was after 31-December-2003. Otherwise, you need to maintain both these documents.

But what do you maintain in these documents? Let us see...

An asbestos register is used to record details related to asbestos in your workplace. You need to maintain this register if it is assumed that there is asbestos present in your workplace or if it has been identified. This register needs to specify where in the workplace asbestos is located. The register also needs to specify the type of asbestos and its condition. It is mandatory to keep this register up to date. Even if there is a change of management, the register needs to be handed over to the new management.

An asbestos management plan details out how the asbestos in your workplace is handled. So, the document needs to show what management decisions have been taken regarding the presence of the mineral. The document also needs to show the control measures that have been identified and the safety procedures that have been planned. The document also lists the names of responsible persons in case there are any asbestos related incidents.

As mentioned above, both the asbestos registers and asbestos management plans need to be updated and reviewed every five years. They may need to be updated sooner than five years if there is asbestos removal done in your workplace. It is also important that both the asbestos registers and asbestos management plans are accessible to the construction workers working on your site and the OH&S representatives.

It is important that you take expert assistance in getting asbestos survey done in your workplace. The inspection company will analyse the results of the survey and create the asbestos register for your workplace. The same company can also create your asbestos management plan that is robust, detailed and compliant with the relevant laws. If you are not sure about creating and managing asbestos registers and asbestos management plans there is no harm in getting in touch with these experts.

All workplaces constructed prior to 31-Dec-03 need to maintain asbestos registers and asbestos management plans. It is best to take expert help for asbestos register and asbestos management plan.