SafeWork SA will again target licensed asbestos removalists as part of an annual campaign in 2025 to ensure compliance with safety regulations.

Expected Outcomes:

  • continued compliance with licensed asbestos removal regulations
  • reduced risk of asbestos-related incidents and disease.

A similar campaign from February to November 2024 included 101 compliance audits targeting 55 licensed asbestos removalists and 46 licensed asbestos assessors.

A total of 57 statutory notices and 11 cautionary expiation notices were issued during the audits.

The leading reasons for issuing notices included the inadequate provision of decontamination facilities, failure to provide health monitoring and removalists not having training records available.

Asbestos has been classified as a known human carcinogen and the use of asbestos has been banned in Australia since 2003.

However, as a result of the widespread use of asbestos in the past, there remains a large amount of asbestos containing materials (ACM) in older buildings.

About 4,000 Australians die every year from asbestos-related disease.

Although asbestos is no longer used, notifications alerting SafeWork SA to asbestos removals across South Australia each year are increasing.

In 2019, SafeWork SA received 3708 notifications covering the removal of 414,845 square metres of asbestos.

In 2024, the number of notifications were up 57 per cent from 2019 to 5848 with a total of 642,666m2 of asbestos removed.

More than half of the asbestos removed in 2024 was from residential properties.

Background

South Australia is a signatory to the Asbestos National Strategic Plan 2024–2030, which outlines a nationally coordinated approach to eliminating asbestos-related diseases. Led by the Asbestos and Silica Safety and Eradication Agency (ASSEA), the plan focuses on:

  • Safe and proactive removal of asbestos-containing materials,
  • Stronger regulatory frameworks and national consistency,
  • Support for affected workers and communities, and
  • Positioning Australia as a global leader in advocating for a worldwide asbestos ban 1 2.

This strategic plan reflects a shared commitment by all Australian governments to address the ongoing risks posed by asbestos in homes, workplaces, and the environment.

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