Health Monitoring for Workers Carrying Asbestos Related Works

As a part of National Safety Month, AHCA provides the following reminder relating to the obligation of monitoring health for workers carrying out asbestos related works. This includes, but is not limited to Licenced Asbestos Assessors (LAAs).

• How is your business managing the assessment of who is an asbestos-related worker?
• How does your business manage, monitor and document health surveillance of workers?

LAAs are required to undertake health monitoring as per the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2017. A person conducting a business or undertaking must ensure that health monitoring is provided to a worker carrying out work for the business or undertaking if the worker is carrying out asbestos-related work and is at risk of exposure to asbestos when carrying out the work.

Asbestos-related work is defined in the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2017 as “work involving asbestos (other than asbestos removal work to which Part 8.7 applies) that is permitted under the exceptions set out in clause 419(3), (4) and (5)”. This includes sampling and identification of asbestos.