As of today, PCBUs (Persons Conducting a Business or Undertaking) must comply with the final suite of requirements stated in the Health and Safety at Work (Asbestos) Regulations 2016. The basic requirement of the regulations is that a written asbestos management plan is produced for any workplace that is known to or is likely to contain asbestos. The management plan is treated as a living document and contains details about where ACM (Asbestos containing material) items are located, how much risk they represent to building users, and details about how the risks are managed. The definition of PCBU has a broad scope and includes Landlords and Bodies Corporate.
Our Safe Sampling Asbestos kits are intended for the DIYer who is planning a job for the future or has uncovered building material they are unsure about. For workplaces or PCBU’s (person contracted to undertake paid work in a residential dwelling), asbestos samples are required to be taken by a competent person. The Worksafe Good Practice Guidelines for conducting Asbestos Surveys indicates that “People identifying asbestos should have the knowledge and skills to identify or assume the presence of asbestos through training, qualifications and experience.” PCBUs should only use these kits where an unexpected suspicious material has been identified and a qualified asbestos assessor is not available at short notice. For more information, see https://worksafe.govt.nz/topic-and-industry/asbestos/. Our Safe Sampling team has competent, BOHS qualified surveyors, should you require a survey for your workplace.
If a management plan is required, our partner service Building Materials Information System (BMIS) has been developed in New Zealand by qualified professionals. The service helps PCBUs fulfill their requirements of the asbestos regulations to help manage asbestos in the workplace and produce living management plans. The easy to use software can save you heavy consultancy fees and simplify your asbestos management processes.
If you're unsure about what to do, you can contact us to discuss your asbestos headache.