Does your commercial building meet all the requirements of Asbestos Regulations?

Everyone needs to be aware of asbestos, so the best advice is find out if it is present, and identify if it needs a licenced contractor to remove it, maintain it or encapsulate it. Doing so will protect yourself, your family, your staff and our environment.

Asbestos containing materials pose a high risk if disturbed by drilling, grinding, sanding, water blasting or dumping incorrectly. This type of work has the potential to release harmful respiratory fibres which can prove lethal if breathed in, causing lung disease and cancer. Even small quick jobs carried out incorrectly can cause harmful exposure to you and the surrounding environment.

Since early 2017, Dominion Constructors has had a WorkSafe accredited Asbestos Removal business, employing Class A (Friable) and Class B (non-Friable) staff, led by project manager Richard Lines. “Through Dominion’s ISO9000, ISO14001 and Tertiary accreditations, we have all the systems in place to deliver quality safe outcomes for clients throughout New Zealand,” says Lines.

Asbestos in the work place is regulated under the Health and Safety at Work (Asbestos) Regulations 2016 (Asbestos Regulations), and how these Regulations are interpreted is outlined in the Approved Code of Practice: Management and Removal of Asbestos, Nov 2016. The removal of both Class A and B asbestos requires an appropriately qualified person to supervise the work.

With the change in HSWA Regulations (Asbestos) 2016, a building owner or the principal person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU), needs to have an asbestos management survey undertaken to determine if there is any asbestos containing material (ACM) present that may affect the daily operation of any business undertaken within that building or structure. 

There is a requirement on PCBU’s to treat any ACM that may be in the building or structure in the same way as any other hazard that exists, and that its existence, or absence, must be documented with the building’s hazard register. “Any dwelling or commercial building built prior to 2000 has the potential to have had ACM used in their construction,” says Lines. 

“Examples of this can be seen in soffits, cement panelling or cladding, pipe lagging or insulation, plaster skim products, texture coatings on ceilings, roofing materials, gaskets, guttering and downpipes, to name only some.

”Dominion have successfully undertaken removal and containment of ACM on a number of projects including hospitals, a university, service tunnels, commercial roofs and various domestic housing jobs set for refurbishment and demolition. 

“We also provide expert advice in managing your asbestos in conjunction with your rebuild, renovations or demolition of both domestic and commercial buildings,” Lines says.

The strength in Dominion’s team, lies not only in its construction ability, but in its experience, depth of leadership and support teams. Dominion is a 100% New Zealand-owned construction company, in business for almost 45 years, and is extremely proud of its reputation. For details, contact Dominion Constructors, phone (09) 526 5808, web: www.constructors.co.nz, email: enquiries@constructors.co.nz

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Concerned about the potential health risks of exposure to asbestos?  Find out more here.

Story by: Trendsideas