Occupational Hygienists at K2 Consulting Group are accredited and licenced to undertake asbestos reports and have completed over 400 projects in Sydney. The term asbestos report is a general and broadly used term.
Asbestos is mineral silicates belonging to amphibole and serpentine type mineral forming rocks that were mined and used in various buildings and structures due to their heat resistant, robust, flexible and waterproofing properties.
Asbestos was widely used in building materials, plants and equipment, motor vehicles etc before and during the 1980s and asbestos products were banned in Australia in 2003 due to their cancer-causing risk. Prolonged exposure to asbestos fibres via inhalation causes illnesses including mesothelioma (lung cancer) and asbestosis.
Asbestos can be found in various locations within residential premises built. Asbestos was used in building materials until the 1990s and was completely phased out in 2003 when a ban was imposed on the importation of asbestos. The below sketch provides a summary of locations where asbestos materials are typically found in residential buildings.
Source: Asbestos Safety Eradication Agency (ASEA), 2021. (ASEA)
Any asbestos if not identified properly can make its way to the soil through poor material handling practices and the problem had then shifted to a bigger scale, where you must manage asbestos in soils.
Room renovations, drilling through asbestos sheets for electrical and plumbing works, kitchen renovations.
This is information only and is not intended to mislead you.
An asbestos register is a document that is prepared by qualified Occupational Hygienists or Licenced Asbestos Assessors that captures all asbestos-containing materials in the building, either confirmed or presumed.
Australian Legislation, Clause 425 of Work Health and Safety Regulation 2017 states that a person with management or control of a workplace (PCBU – Person conducting a business or undertaking) must ensure that a register (an asbestos register) is prepared and kept at the workplace. The person must ensure that the asbestos register is maintained to ensure the information in the register is up to date.
Our typical process in an asbestos register involves visiting the property, careful survey of the condition of the materials (bonded or friable asbestos), collection of asbestos samples, asbestos testing in a NATA accredited laboratory and preparation of a comprehensive report.
The asbestos testing results can be delivered within the same or next business day without any surcharges. Our charges are nominal.
An Asbestos Register and a comprehensive Asbestos Management Plan will make your property comply with the relevant WHS Acts and regulations and will relieve you of any liabilities from Contractors exposing themselves to asbestos. Remember, you still have the responsibility to provide the relevant reports to Contractors and residents of the buildings.
If asbestos is confirmed to be present in a building or presumed to be present in a building, then an Asbestos Management Plan shall be prepared and maintained on the premises.
Australian Legislation, section 425 of Work Health and Safety Regulation 2017 states that A person with management or control of the workplace must ensure that a written plan (an asbestos management plan) for the workplace is prepared and that the information in the asbestos management plan is up to date.
The asbestos management plan shall contain the following information:
● Identification of asbestos or ACM;
● Location of ACM;
● Decisions, and reasons for decisions, about the management of asbestos at the workplace;
● Procedures for emergencies involving asbestos at the site;
● Details of the PCBU or the workers carrying out work involving asbestos; and
● Provide information, and consultation on asbestos-related matters related to the building.
Asbestos management plans are not limited to the above information only and can contain more information based on the site and the condition of asbestos.
The PCBU (person in charge of the workplace) shall ensure that the asbestos management plan is readily accessible to all staff, any workers including sub-contractors at the workplace, tenants and any personnel who is likely to come in contact with asbestos during tenure in the building or on-site.
A person who is in control of the workplace (PCBU) is responsible to have a HAZMAT survey completed in the workplace. HAZMAT surveys are undertaken to identify asbestos, lead, Poly Chlorinated Biphenyls (PCB), Synthetic Mineral Fibres (SMF) and Ozone Depleting Substances in buildings.
The cost to complete an asbestos register or a HAZMAT register depends on various factors including the size of the property, the complexity of accessing various locations, the presence of many different types of hazardous materials and the end goal of the survey. Typically, we charge a lump sum for the survey so that you can be certain about the cost.
A thorough asbestos or HAZMAT survey is a time-consuming process where the consultant would need to carefully survey all areas of the building as much as possible and leave fewer assumptions and collect as many representative samples as required. A good survey can be a worthy investment as it will provide you with all HAZMAT locations leaving fewer assumptions, so you minimise the surprise element later. In demolition projects, we strongly recommend that a pre-demolition comprehensive hazardous materials survey is undertaken so that all hazardous materials are identified and handled before the commencement of demolition thus mitigating cross-contamination to other areas of the site, including soils. If the soils are contaminated (asbestos in soils), it can be a very expensive exercise to remediate the soils and bring the land back to an acceptable state.
Having said the above, a cheaper survey can lead to more assumptions thus increasing the uncertainty and increasing the risk level. As the adage goes – the cheapest quote is not always the best – you do get what you pay for. We offer high-quality workmanship and professionalism and produce detailed reports for the benefit of the Client and the project – however, we try to stay competitive.
Councils in Sydney often request a Hazardous Materials Survey or an asbestos survey before the commencement of the building works as a part of the Development Application and a detailed report would be produced by a Competent Person. Our reports are widely accepted by Councils in Sydney, and NSW SafeWork and we have not had to revisit the reports, because we produce quality work for the first time. We understand that any delays in reproducing the work later can be a costly affair when dealing with Government Departments and hence we aim to get that through in one shot through our years of experience and greater understanding of the Council’s requirements.
Call us today on 1800 523 000 to discuss your project.
K2 Consulting Group has a team of Occupational Hygienists who are experienced and trained to undertake asbestos inspections and asbestos assessments in residential and commercial premises.
Due to a conflict of interest with our consulting business, K2 Consulting Group does not undertake any asbestos removal works, however, we can put you in touch with reputed and trusted asbestos removalists in Sydney so that you can engage them with confidence.
Our Occupational Hygienists at K2 Consulting Group can undertake asbestos surveys and provide an asbestos report (aka asbestos hygienist report) which will assess the condition of asbestos and provide recommendations management of asbestos. The asbestos removalist will then submit this report to NSW Safe Work to obtain approval for the asbestos removal works.
During the asbestos removal process, our asbestos consultants can provide you with asbestos air monitoring services and site supervision to ensure that all asbestos removal works are undertaken with utmost care to the residents of the site, neighbours and other sensitive receptors. Once the asbestos removal works are completed, our experienced licenced asbestos assessors can issue an asbestos clearance certificate and the place is deemed safe for reoccupation.
Soils are referred to as contaminated when the concentration of contaminant is usually higher than the ambient concentrations. There may be naturally elevated concentration of contaminants while in most of the cases, there is an apparent source of contamination (point source).
Consultants at K2 Consulting Group are trained and experienced in the assessment and management of contaminated soils and groundwater. Our quick, effective and practical approach in contamination management puts us at the forefront of today’s emerging contamination management market.
Soils are referred to as contaminated when the concentration of contaminant is usually higher than the ambient concentrations. There may be naturally elevated concentration of contaminants while in most of the cases, there is an apparent source of contamination (point source).
Consultants at K2 Consulting Group undertake a systematic and exhaustive approach in classifying soils, as it can be a huge savings to the project if lesser quantity is sent to the landfill or waste recovery centre, while still meeting the regulations.
K2 Consulting Group utilises best-practice planning, collection, analysis and conduct human health risk assessment and site screening. K2 Consulting Group’s team of expert engineers ensure that regulatory requirements are met so that stakeholder risks are understood.
When Acid Sulfate Soils can be detrimental to the environment when exposed to atmospheric air through anthropogenic activities (excavation for construction purposes etc) or natural means (drainage of groundwater).
PFAS refers to Per & Poly Fluorinated Alkyl Substance which is a group of long chain fluorinated organic compounds used in various industrial applications. Australia and other leading nations have banned the usage of the PFAS containing chemicals.
Consultants at K2 Consulting Group are qualified lead auditors in Environmental Management Systems – ISO 14001:2015, Management Systems Auditing – ISO 19011:2018. We can assist your organisation in identifying various environmental risks.