Friable Asbestos Removal in Bendigo

What makes asbestos friable

Asbestos is friable when it can be crumbled to powder by hand pressure, or when it is already loose. Unlike fibro sheet, the fibres are not locked into cement. Victorian law treats this as the higher-risk class of removal work.

In Bendigo properties, friable material is most often found as:

• Sprayed or textured ceiling finishes that have tested positive
• Lagging on old hot-water pipes, boilers and heaters in homes, schools and halls
• Insulation board behind older wood heaters and stoves
• Bonded fibro that has been burnt, crushed or weathered until it crumbles
• Loose debris in roof spaces or subfloors left by earlier, unlicensed work

A laboratory result confirms which you have. Until then, treat the material as friable and leave it undisturbed.

See asbestos pipe lagging and insulation for the most common friable material outside ceilings.

The Bendigo Asbestos Removal process for friable asbestos removal

Step by step

1. 1

   Assessment

   The material is identified, sampled if needed and measured, and the removal area is mapped.

2. 2

   Asbestos control plan

   A written plan sets out how the area will be enclosed, how air will be controlled, and how workers and waste will leave the site.

3. 3

   Notification

   WorkSafe Victoria is notified at least five days before work starts. In an unexpected situation, such as storm or fire damage, notice is given within 24 hours of starting.

4. 4

   Containment

   The area is enclosed in heavy plastic sheeting and held under negative air pressure with filtered extraction, so air flows in, not out. Ducts, vents and openings are sealed.

5. 5

   Decontamination

   A decontamination area at the enclosure exit ensures workers, tools and bagged waste are cleaned before they leave.

6. 6

   Removal

   The material is kept wet and removed in sections by workers in disposable coveralls and respirators, then double-bagged.

7. 7

   Air monitoring

   An independent person samples the air inside and around the enclosure for the whole job.

8. 8

   Clearance

   After cleaning, the area is inspected by an independent person. Final air monitoring must show fibre levels below 0.01 fibres per millilitre before the clearance certificate is issued.

9. 9

   Disposal

   Waste goes to a facility licensed to accept asbestos. Friable waste is not accepted at the domestic drop-off at Eaglehawk Landfill.

What to expect from friable asbestos removal

• A site visit before any price. Friable work is quoted only after the material and access have been seen.
• A written quote that lists the licence class, the enclosure, air monitoring, clearance and disposal as separate items.
• The licence details of the removalist engaged, which you can check with WorkSafe Victoria.
• A start date at least five days out, because of the notification period (except in an emergency).
• Time out of the room or area until the clearance certificate is issued.
• A clearance certificate on completion, recording the asbestos removed and the final air monitoring result. Keep it with your property records.

Friable asbestos in Bendigo homes

The most common friable job in Bendigo is a sprayed or textured ceiling from the 1950s to the 1980s. These ceilings appear in brick veneers in Flora Hill and Strathfieldsaye, and in fibro and weatherboard homes in Kangaroo Flat, Golden Square and Long Gully. Pipe lagging and heater insulation turn up in older goldfields-era houses, halls and schools across central Bendigo, Castlemaine and Heathcote. After a house or shed fire, burnt fibro on rural blocks can also become friable.

Friable removal across Bendigo and district

Class A removal is available in Bendigo, Kangaroo Flat, Strathfieldsaye, Eaglehawk, Golden Square, Castlemaine and Heathcote.

Friable asbestos removal: common questions