Asbestos Removal in Newcastle and the Hunter

Where asbestos turns up in Hunter homes

A house finished before 1990 may well have asbestos somewhere in it, and a big share of houses across Newcastle and the Lower Hunter fit that description. The common spots are fibro sheeting on inside and outside walls, the eaves, the sheeting hidden behind bathroom and laundry tiles, the backing on old vinyl floor coverings, roofing sheets, and flues from old heaters and hot water systems.

Fibro cottages from the post-war decades are the obvious ones, but brick veneer homes often have it too, usually in the eaves, the wet areas or an old sleepout added at the back.

Testing and the hazardous materials survey

You cannot tell by looking whether a sheet contains asbestos. A hazardous materials survey ahead of demolition or a strip-out identifies what is there, where it is and what condition it is in. It also tells us whether the material is friable or non-friable, which decides the licence class needed for removal.

If you are only renovating one room, testing the materials in that room before anyone cuts into them is the sensible first step.

Who can remove asbestos in NSW

NSW rules are clear on this. There are two SafeWork NSW licence classes for this work. Class A holders can remove both friable and non-friable material. Class B is limited to non-friable material.

Once there is over 10 square metres of non-friable material, a SafeWork NSW licensed removalist has to do the job, and any friable asbestos is Class A licence work only. On our jobs, the asbestos is taken out by removalists who hold the SafeWork NSW licence class the job calls for.

Notifying SafeWork NSW

SafeWork NSW must be notified before licensed asbestos removal starts. That notice is lodged in advance, so it needs to be built into the program. If your builder has a start date, we work back from it so the notification, removal and clearance all fit before demolition or renovation work picks up again.

How a removal job runs

A typical removal follows the same steps:

• The work area is set up and signed, and access is restricted to the removal crew
• Sheets are wetted down and removed whole where possible, rather than broken
• Material is wrapped and sealed in heavy plastic and labelled as asbestos waste
• Once the material is gone, the area gets a thorough clean
• The site is inspected for clearance before other trades come back

For friable material, the work area is enclosed and the controls are tighter. The removalist will explain what that involves for your job.

Clearance inspection and certificate

After removal, someone independent checks the work. Where friable (Class A) material was removed, the clearance check is done by a licensed asbestos assessor. For non-friable jobs, the check falls to an independent competent person. Other work in that area waits until the clearance certificate is in hand.

Keep that certificate. Your builder will want it, and it is useful if you sell the property later.

Disposal and tracking

Asbestos waste can only be taken to a site permitted by law to take it. The NSW EPA follows asbestos loads through its WasteLocate system, which logs each trip from your site to the disposal point. You should never see asbestos waste put in a general skip or left on the kerb.

Small jobs and renovation finds

Plenty of asbestos work is smaller than a full house: eaves sheeting before a re-roof, a fibro bathroom being stripped for a new one, an old garage or shed coming down, or broken sheeting found under a house in Lambton or Cardiff during other work. If you are unsure whether something is asbestos, leave it alone and get it tested.

Pricing an asbestos job

Use the quote form to send the address, photos of the affected area, and a copy of any asbestos test or hazardous materials survey you already have. Tell us whether the job is a full house, a single room or an outbuilding. We will tell you what the removal involves under NSW rules and send back a written quote.