Asbestos Registers & Management Plans in Bendigo

Who needs a register

Under the OHS Regulations 2017, the person who manages or controls a workplace that contains asbestos must keep an asbestos register. Around Bendigo, that takes in:

• Shops and offices in older buildings along Hargreaves Street, Mitchell Street and the CBD side streets
• Factories, workshops and warehouses in the older industrial areas
• Farm sheds, shearing sheds and machinery sheds used for work
• Schools, halls, sports clubs and churches
• Rental properties that are also a workplace for those who maintain them

Where it is uncertain whether asbestos is present, the regulations require you to assume it is, or to have samples analysed by an approved laboratory.

What the register records

• Identified asbestos. What it is, where it is, and its condition.
• Assumed asbestos. Materials treated as asbestos because they haven't been tested.
• Inaccessible areas. Places likely to contain asbestos that couldn't be inspected, such as wall cavities or sealed ceiling spaces.

Where reasonably practicable, the asbestos is also labelled on site, so any tradesperson can see it.

The Bendigo Asbestos Removal process for asbestos registers

Step by step

1. 1

   Walk-through

   A person trained in asbestos identification inspects the building inside and out, including roof and ceiling spaces where safe.

2. 2

   Sampling

   Suspect materials are sampled and analysed by an accredited laboratory.

3. 3

   Register

   Locations, photos, condition ratings and recommendations are compiled.

4. 4

   Labelling

   Identified asbestos is labelled where practical.

5. 5

   Management plan

   Each item gets a priority, from "leave and monitor" to "remove before the next refurbishment".

Keeping it current

A Victorian workplace asbestos register must be:

1. Reviewed at least every five years, and revised if anything has changed.
2. Reviewed sooner if asbestos is disturbed, damaged or removed.
3. Available to employees and to contractors who may come across asbestos at the site.
4. Given to anyone doing demolition or refurbishment, after review, before they start.

What to expect from asbestos registers

• A register you can hand to staff and contractors, with photos and locations.
• A management plan setting out what happens to each item, who is responsible, what to do if something is damaged, and how contractors are informed. It is good practice, and it makes the five-year review simpler.
• Pricing driven by building size, the number of samples and access to roof spaces and plant rooms. Reviewing a recent register usually costs less than starting from scratch.

Registers for Bendigo buildings

Bendigo's CBD and older industrial areas have a high share of pre-1990 commercial buildings, many with asbestos cement roofs, wall linings and old electrical boards. Farm and machinery sheds across the district often have corrugated asbestos roofs and are workplaces in their own right.

Registers across Bendigo and district

Workplace registers and management plans are available in Bendigo, Kangaroo Flat, Strathfieldsaye, Eaglehawk, Golden Square, Castlemaine and Heathcote.

Asbestos registers: common questions