Asbestos Site Clearances
We have fully-licensed asbestos assessors around the country who can monitor asbestos removals and undertake clearances following removal.
Asbestos Site Clearances
We have fully-licensed asbestos assessors around the country who can monitor asbestos removals and undertake clearances following removal.
By law, all asbestos removals require a clearance certificate. This must be done before a structure can be demolished or the area can be reoccupied for work or normal use.
Our asbestos team is experienced in the inspection of both Class A and Class B asbestos removals. We are meticulous in our method to ensure the site is safe for occupation. Clearance samples are given priority in our labs so you can continue with your work as soon as possible.
WorkSafe NZ defines asbestos removals into three categories.
Class A
Any amount of friable asbestos or asbestos-contaminated dust (ACD)
Class B
Any amount of non-friable asbestos and ACD associated with that removal
Unlicensed
The removal of up to and including 10m² of non-friable asbestos and ACD associated with that removal
The WorkSafe NZ definition of friable is a material that is
in a powder form or able to crumbled, pulverised, or reduced to a powder by hand pressure when dry
Examples of non-friable materials are cement sheeting and vinyl floor tiles. Friable materials include asbestos rope, insulation or millboard.
Note that some non-friable materials may become friable during the removal process. These will require a Class A removal.
WorkSafe issues licenses for all asbestos removalists and for all those who monitor those removals. This is known as an asbestos assessor licence. Since April 2018, all Class A asbestos removal clearance inspections must be done by a licensed asbestos assessor.
We have 12 licensed asbestos assessors around the country. The WorkSafe Asbestos Licence Holder Register can be found here.
For Class A removals, we can conduct
- a pre-removal assessment
- air monitoring during removal
- dust and air sampling following removal
- a final inspection following removal of the enclosure.
Not all of these steps are required for clearance.
For Class B removals, we conduct a visual assessment following removal. If there is concern that contaminated dust remains, we may take a dust sample.
Asbestos-contaminated dust, or ACD, usually requires removal by a Class A licensed removalist. WorkSafe NZ gives three exceptions to this.
- ACD associated with Class B asbestos removal work, including ACD present before removal
- ACD associated with unlicensed removal work
- A minor contamination not associated with asbestos work
The definition of minor contamination should be assessed by an experienced person and will take into consideration the extent of the contamination and the time it would take to clean. We can provide advice in this area.