Asbestos professionals - who does what?
A non-friable asbestos removal licence is required to remove more than 10sqm of non-friable asbestos.
A friable asbestos removal licence is required to remove any amount of friable asbestos.
SafeWork NSW recommends that you contact a licensed asbestos professional to assess or remove any amount of asbestos.
Descriptions of various asbestos professionals
Competent person
A competent person is someone who has acquired through training or experience the knowledge and skills of relevant asbestos removal industry practice and holds the following:
- a certification in relation to the specified VET course for asbestos assessor work, or
- a tertiary qualification in occupational health and safety, occupational hygiene, science, building, construction or environmental health
Asbestos assessor
Asbestos assessor licenses are required to provide air monitoring and clearance certificates in relation to friable asbestos removal work.
Clearance certificates must be issued by independent asbestos assessors for all friable asbestos removal work before a site can be reoccupied.
For non-friable asbestos removal work, clearance certificates may be issued by either a competent person or an asbestos assessor.
Asbestos removal supervisor
For licensed asbestos removal work, there must be a nominated supervisor present whenever Class A (friable asbestos) removal work is carried out. A nominated supervisor must be present or readily available to attend the site when Class B (non-friable asbestos) removal work is being carried out.
What does it mean to be independent when issuing a clearance certificate?
A clearance inspection is required at the completion of all licensed asbestos removal work, prior to reoccupation.
They can only be undertaken by a person who is independent of the asbestos removal work and who has acquired the relevant training or experience to undertake the work.
Persons undertaking asbestos clearance inspections MUST ensure they are independent of the asbestos removal work which means:
- they did not undertake the work, and,
- they are not involved in the business or undertaking that carried out the work.
If there is potential for a perceived conflict of interest you should consider that they are not independent. For example if the person is a relative, friend or there is an ongoing working relationship then this would not be deemed independent.