Summer Renovations? Check for Asbestos First

A new regulation for asbestos is coming into effect by April 2018, which will affect a lot of homeowners wishing to renovate. The new regulation will require building owners or occupiers who manage or control the workplace to have an up-to-date asbestos management plan, along with an accessible copy of it for any workers who have or will carry out asbestos related work in the building.

An asbestos management plan must be written and contain information about the identification of asbestos or ACM, decisions on a plan of attack, procedures for detailing incidents or emergencies involving asbestos or ACM in the workplace, and the workers who carry out any work involving asbestos, including details on information and training, roles and responsibilities, and any health monitoring. All decontamination companies need to have a Certificate of Competence for work.

The new regulation demands that all properties undergoing renovations be assessed for asbestos. A person in charge of a renovation immediately becomes a PCBU (Person Conducting Business or Undertaking), making them responsible for anyone who comes on-site. It is important to ensure there is no risk of workers inhaling asbestos when undertaking renovation work.

Asbestos refers to six naturally occurring minerals that come from metamorphic rocks in large deposits, and was a popular building material due to its strength and resistance to fire, water and chemicals. Asbestos is not harmful until it is broken up or exposed, as this is when the fibres enter the air and lungs. The fibres are so fine that it is hard for lungs to remove them, and this can lead to serious health issues such as asbestosis, lung cancer, and tumours in the lung and intestine.

Blue and brown asbestos has been banned in New Zealand since 1987 and white asbestos banned from 1999, but many buildings built before the 1990s have a high chance of containing asbestos. Some places it can be found include insulation, roofing, ceilings, cladding, window putty, flooring and vinyl, heating ducts, water heaters, pipe insulation and boilers.

If you are planning on renovating this summer, make sure you are familiar with the new regulation for asbestos. Chemcare provides asbestos testing and asbestos removal, meth decontamination, mould removal, and other services to ensure the safety of buildings in New Zealand. Don’t begin renovating until you are sure there is no methamphetamine contamination or other hidden, harmful substances. For meth cleaning and more, contact Chemcare.