29 March 2023

SafeWork SA has suspended another two asbestos licences following separate incidents on Adelaide work sites in recent months.

SafeWork SA has suspended another two asbestos licences following separate incidents on Adelaide work sites in recent months.

A South Australian asbestos assessor had their licence immediately suspended while an asbestos removalist and demolition contractor had their class B licence suspended for a period of three months, both in March.

An Asbestos Assessor Licence allows a person to carry out air monitoring before and during licenced asbestos removal work; and to carry out clearance inspections and issue clearance certificates following the completion of asbestos removal work.

The asbestos assessor failed to take reasonable care to carry out licensed asbestos assessor work safely and competently by issuing a clearance certificate without undertaking a proper and effective clearance inspection. They also failed to set-up an adequate number of air monitors on three separate asbestos removal jobs.

The asbestos assessor has a history of poor compliance and was previously suspended in 2020 for three months for similar breaches.

The asbestos removalist and demolition contractor had a history of failing to ensure the work or other activities authorised by the licence was carried out safely and competently.

On 11 January 2023, SafeWork SA was notified of a serious injury when a worker fell through asbestos roof sheeting. The preliminary investigation resulted in the publication of a safety alert: Watch your step on fragile roofing

During the course of the investigation, inspectors identified a number of asbestos legislation breaches and issued statutory notices.

The notices triggered a review of SafeWork SA’s compliance history database which revealed a repeated failure to ensure that the work or other activities authorised by the licence holder were carried out safely and competently during their licence period.

When making the decision, SafeWork SA considered the company’s history of repeated contraventions, particularly its inability to protect workers and members of the public from exposure to asbestos. The company, among other things:

  • Allowed a worker who wears a respirator to have facial hair that prevents an effective seal to minimise exposure to airborne asbestos fibres.
  • Failed to fit test a worker who wears a respirator to minimise exposure to airborne asbestos fibres.
  • On two occasions, allowed a worker to undertake licence asbestos removal work without the worker holding certification in relation to the specified VET course for class B asbestos removal work.
  • Allowed a worker to undertake asbestos removal work without wearing appropriate personal protective equipment suitable for asbestos conditions.
  • Failed to ensure that health monitoring was provided to a worker carrying out licensed asbestos removal work at a workplace and who is at risk of exposure to asbestos when carrying out the work.
  • Failed to ensure when the licensed asbestos removal work was completed, a clearance inspection of the asbestos removal area at the workplace was carried out by an independent licensed asbestos assessor or independent competent person.
  • Failed to provide information on the health risks and health effects associated with exposure, and the need for, and details of, health monitoring to an asbestos licensed asbestos removal worker before the person was engaged to carry out the work.

SafeWork SA can suspend, cancel or refuse a person’s licence renewal in order to address inappropriate conduct or practices. Such action is a protective measure to protect the health and safety of workers and the community.

SafeWork SA Acting Executive Director Glenn Farrell said there are high community and business expectations that the engagement of a licence holder would provide a level of certainty that legislation would be complied with.

‘SafeWork SA has given both licence holders sufficient opportunities to change their behaviour and work practices, yet they have continually failed to meet their obligations as asbestos licence holders”.

‘SafeWork SA’s role is to ensure that the community can be confident in South Australia’s asbestos licensing regime by taking action to cancel or suspend an asbestos removal licence when there is evidence a licence holder has not demonstrated safe and competent asbestos removal practices.

‘These failures require such sanctions.’

Information on asbestos can be found on the South Australian Government asbestos website which provides practical information about asbestos, how to identify it, and how to have it safely removed.

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