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- The national asbestos agency says it is “not recommended that you handle or remove asbestos yourself”, though in Victoria the Better Health Channel says householders may legally remove it from their own property, and recommends that only a licensed professional removes loosely bound material. The national agency adds that a licensed asbestos removalist is the safer choice.
- WorkSafe Victoria says exposure to every type of airborne asbestos fibre is hazardous to human health.
- Asbestos fibres are most likely to be released when asbestos material is disturbed, for example by drilling, cutting, sawing or breaking it. Victorian guidance warns against power tools, abrasive cutting or sanding discs, compressed air, high-pressure water jets, and dry-sanding, wire-brushing or scraping a surface before painting it. WorkSafe Victoria’s flood-recovery advice adds that when you clean asbestos material that is still in place and not damaged, you should avoid high-pressure washers or water blasters, which can damage it and spread asbestos debris and fibres, and power tools or abrasive materials such as sanders. Better Health says never to saw, grind, drill or break asbestos with power tools, and to use hand tools if you must. The national agency adds that you should never clean asbestos with high-pressure water or anything abrasive, such as scrubbing, sanding or grinding, because it can spread contamination widely.
- In Victoria, asbestos waste may go only to a site EPA Victoria has authorised to accept it, and EPA keeps the list of landfills licensed for asbestos waste. It must never go in a general, recycling or green waste bin.
6.1 Reading a home’s age
Better Health gives three bands as a guide.
| Built | Asbestos-containing products |
|---|---|
| Before the mid-1980s | Highly likely |
| Mid-1980s to 1990 | May have them |
| After 1990 | Unlikely |
Renovation counts as well as construction: Better Health says asbestos products are still common in homes built or renovated before 1990. Its list of past uses runs from roofing, cement sheets and pipes, floor tiles and insulation to boilers, gaskets, electrical fittings, plastics and textiles, as well as clutch and brake linings. WorkSafe Victoria’s 2019 code for managing asbestos points to wet areas such as bathrooms, toilets and laundries, where asbestos sheeting or vinyl tiles may have been used for their hardiness and waterproofing.
Looking is not the same as knowing. Better Health says the only way to be certain a material contains asbestos is to have a sample tested by an accredited laboratory, and that untested material should be treated as though it does. For a first look, Asbestos in Victoria offers a find and identify tool and an ACM Check phone app designed for homes.
6.2 Condition matters more than age
Better Health says building materials like asbestos cement sheeting, in good condition, hold their fibres tightly and are very unlikely to cause health problems. The risk comes when material is broken, deteriorating or disturbed in a way that produces airborne fibres, such as being drilled, sanded or cut with a power tool.
Some upkeep is low-risk. Asbestos in Victoria says that painting or sealing asbestos cement in good condition, without sanding, cutting or drilling, needs only the usual precautions for that work, such as good ventilation.
6.3 Renting
If you rent, Asbestos in Victoria says material that may contain asbestos and is in poor condition, such as a damaged wall, should be checked for asbestos and, if asbestos is there, treated as an urgent repair.
6.4 Buying, and renovating after you buy
The national asbestos agency says pre-purchase building inspection reports generally do not cover asbestos, so a specific asbestos assessment may be needed. An asbestos professional can carry out that assessment, identifying whether asbestos is present, where it is and its condition, with guidance on managing the risk. The agency also notes that homes with asbestos are bought, sold and rented every day in Australia.
The national agency’s advice to every owner is to check whether asbestos is present before starting any repairs, maintenance or home improvements. Once you own the home and bring in a business to renovate, WorkSafe’s code says the home becomes that business’s workplace for the work, and the Regulations’ duties for demolition and refurbishment apply while it lasts. Among them, the business must not start until it has worked out whether asbestos is present in what it will refurbish or demolish. Removing asbestos found that way follows the licence rules in field 1, the notice rules in field 5 and the clearance rules in field 4.
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For major renovations where asbestos might be present, the national agency’s advice is to engage a licensed asbestos removalist.