What do these guidelines cover?

There are legal requirements for persons conducting a business or undertaking (PCBUs) to meet under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 (HSWA) if:

• your workplace contains asbestos
• you want to remove asbestos
• you want to demolish or refurbish structures or plant
• you work near asbestos (for example, tradespersons).

The requirements in the Health and Safety at Work (Asbestos) Regulations (Asbestos Regulations) and related requirements in the Health and Safety at Work (General Risk and Workplace Management) Regulations 2016 (GRWM Regulations) are outlined in these guidelines.

These guidelines cover the following:

• Part A introduces these guidelines and includes what work involving asbestos is allowed in New Zealand
• Part B explains the duties to manage asbestos in workplaces
• Part C explains the duties when removing asbestos (this is work involving the removal of asbestos, asbestos-contaminated soil, or asbestos-containing material – ACM) including when demolishing or refurbishing structures or plant
• Part D explains the duties for asbestos-related work (this is work involving asbestos that is not asbestos removal work).

For more information about HSWA and PCBUs, see Introduction to the Health and Safety Act 2015

Who should read these guidelines?

These guidelines are intended to help anyone who wants to understand what is required by the Asbestos Regulations and how WorkSafe will enforce the Asbestos Regulations.

This might include:

• people who engage others to remove asbestos from their workplace or their home
• people with management or control of a workplace where asbestos might be present
• people who might come into contact with asbestos in their workplace
• asbestos risk management practitioners
• asbestos removal practitioners
• asbestos surveyors
• asbestos assessors.