Victoria: asbestos management begins before maintenance disturbs the building

WorkSafe Victoria’s Managing asbestos in workplaces compliance code was published on 19 December 2019 and remains available on its official resource page. It operates within Victoria’s OHS framework.

Practical points

This code concerns asbestos management; removal has a separate code. Those managing or controlling workplaces and employers have identification and register duties under the applicable regulations.

A register records more than an address. It includes asbestos location, material type and condition, whether it is friable, potential damage or disturbance, relevant inaccessible areas and identification dates. Different employers may have related register duties at one site. Access to the register and its review are important parts of managing work, not merely administrative filing.

A corrections example

Before hypothetical drilling or refurbishment in an older correctional building, ask whether the relevant asbestos information has been checked and supplied to the people planning the work. An inaccessible area is not proof that no asbestos exists. Suspected material requires competent assessment, not an officer’s visual guess.

Status and source

Following the code provides deemed compliance only for duties it covers. Other lawful methods are possible; the code does not replace the legislation. General education, not individual legal advice.

Read the official WorkSafe resource page and complete official PDF.