Skip to main content
Quick Links
  • Contact us
  • Help
  • News
Homepage, Queensland Government Asbestos
Homepage, Queensland Government Asbestos
Asbestos
13QGOV(13 74 68)
Asbestos
Main navigation
  • Home
  • General information
    • What is asbestos?
    • How was asbestos used?
    • Are there health effects?
    • The risks of exposure
    • Health monitoring
    • Legislation and codes of practice
    • Low density asbestos fibre board
    • Asbestos contaminated dust or debris
    • Fires
    • Cleaning up after floods and storms
    • Importation prohibited
    • Government and agency roles
    • Asbestos in government assets
  • Know where asbestos is
    • Common locations of asbestos in domestic and commercial buildings
    • Naturally occurring asbestos
    • Asbestos products gallery
    • Vehicles and plant
    • Electrical switchboards and meters
    • Marblesheen pool coatings containing asbestos
    • Testing for asbestos
    • Asbestos registers for workplaces
    • Asbestos management plans
  • Removing or disturbing asbestos
    • Prohibited activities
    • Wearing protective equipment
    • Safe work procedures
    • Asbestos removal work
    • Asbestos-related work
    • Homeowner's certificate to remove asbestos
    • Air monitoring
    • Clearance inspections
    • Transport and disposal of asbestos waste
  • Practical guidance
    • Asbestos workers and removalists
    • Trades and contractors
    • Homeowners and home renovators
    • Commercial building owners (of workplaces)
    • Body corporate and apartment owner occupiers
    • Residential tenants, lessors and landlords
    • Volunteers
    • Local government environmental health officers
  • Resources
    • Asbestos alerts
    • Asbestos news
    • Codes of practice
    • Guidance
    • Films
    • Safe work procedures
    • Frequently asked questions for homeowners and the general public
    • Podcasts
    • Strategies
    • Working Safely with Asbestos Guide
    • Asbestos Awareness Week 2022
    • Induction and safety training for unlicensed work
  • Sanctions
    • Asbestos on-the-spot fines
    • Sanctions against asbestos licence holders
    • Prosecutions
  1. Home
  2. Know where asbestos is
  3. Asbestos registers for workplaces
In this section

In this section

  • Common locations of asbestos in domestic and commercial buildings
  • Naturally occurring asbestos
  • Asbestos products gallery
  • Vehicles and plant
  • Electrical switchboards and meters
  • Marblesheen pool coatings containing asbestos
  • Testing for asbestos
  • Asbestos registers for workplaces
  • Asbestos management plans

Asbestos registers for workplaces

A person with management or control of a workplace must ensure asbestos at the workplace is identified, the location of asbestos is clearly indicated and recorded in a register and have a written asbestos management plan if asbestos has been identified at the workplace (or is likely to be there at times).

An asbestos register is not required if the building was constructed after 31 December 1989 and no asbestos has been identified at the workplace and asbestos is not likely to be present.

The asbestos register must be maintained so the information in the register is up-to-date and be readily accessible to businesses or contractors carrying out demolition, removal, refurbishment, maintenance or service work at the workplace.

Identifying asbestos or ACM at the workplace

A person with management or control of a workplace must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that all asbestos or asbestos-containing materials (ACM) at the workplace is identified by a competent person who has acquired through training, qualification or experience the knowledge and skills to carry out this task. Where a sample of suspected ACM is taken, this does not have to be carried out by a licensed asbestos removalist.

The requirement to ensure asbestos or ACM at the workplace is identified by a competent person does not apply:

  • to naturally occurring asbestos(e.g. asbestos encountered during mining or quarrying)
  • if the duty holder assumes asbestos or ACM is present
  • if the duty holder has reasonable grounds to believe that asbestos or ACM is not present.

If asbestos or ACM is assumed to be present at a workplace, it is taken to be identified at the workplace.

Persons who may be considered to be competent in the identification of asbestos and ACM include:

  • occupational hygienists who have experience with asbestos and ACM
  • licensed asbestos assessors
  • asbestos removal supervisors
  • individuals who have a statement of attainment in the VET course for asbestos assessors
  • a person working for an organisation accredited by the National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) under ISO 17020 for surveying asbestos.

If there is not a competent person within the organisation an external competent person should be engaged. The steps a competent person should follow to take a sample of suspected ACM are outlined in Appendix A of the How to Manage and Control Asbestos in the Workplace Code of Practice 2021 (PDF 669 KB).

Reasonable grounds that asbestos or ACM is not present at the workplace

A person with management or control may have reasonable grounds to believe that asbestos or ACM is not present at a workplace.

Factors to consider include:

  • the age of the workplace building or plant
  • the material or products used in constructing the building or plant given that asbestos was used in a wide range of products (e.g. asbestos-cement sheeting for interior/exterior walls, ceilings and roofs, gaskets, asbestos backed vinyl or vinyl tiles; sealants and mastics).

Examples of reasonable grounds include:

  • a workplace building constructed after 31 December 1989
  • no plant or equipment at the workplace was made or installed before 2004
  • all asbestos or ACM has been removed from the workplace.

Register of asbestos or ACM at a workplace

A person with management or control of a workplace must ensure an asbestos register is prepared and kept at the workplace. The asbestos register must record any asbestos or ACM identified at the workplace or likely to be present from time to time.

An asbestos register is not required if:

  • the workplace is a building that was constructed after 31 December 1989, and
  • no asbestos has been identified at the workplace, and
  • no asbestos is likely to be present from time to time.

It is important to note that even if no asbestos is identified, or is determined not to be present based on reasonable grounds, the register must state that no asbestos or ACM is identified or present at the workplace.

Asbestos register access and review

The register must be kept up-to-date and be readily accessible to workers and others at the workplace. The register must be reviewed at least once every five years or earlier if:

  • the asbestos or ACM has been disturbed, removed, sealed or enclosed
  • further asbestos or ACM is identified a the workplace
  • the asbestos management plan for the workplace is reviewed.

Transfer of asbestos register

If a person with management or control of a workplace intends to relinquish management or control, they must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that a copy of the asbestos register is given to the person (if any) assuming management or control of the workplace.

Asbestos registers and apartment owner occupiers and bodies corporate

Section 7 of the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 excludes most strata title bodies corporate from being a 'person conducting a business or undertaking' under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011. Unless a strata title body corporate for a residential unit/townhouse complex engages a worker as an employee (employee being the key term) they are not a 'person conducting a business or undertaking', and therefore the asbestos register requirement under the WHS Regulation 2011 does not apply. If a strata title body corporate is excluded from being regarded as a 'person conducting a business or undertaking', then the strata title body corporate cannot be regarded as a person with management or control of a workplace under the WHS Regulation 2011.

View more information about strata title bodies corporate on the Apartment owner occupiers and bodies corporate web page.

Analysing asbestos samples

Samples of material suspected of containing asbestos must be analysed by a National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) laboratory accredited for the relevant test method, or a laboratory approved or operated by Workplace Health and Safety Queensland. The NATA website lists accredited laboratories to perform asbestos analysis.

Please note, the use of near infrared (NIR) handheld analyser for the identification of asbestos-containing materials (ACM) is not an appropriate test method. View our Safety alert in relation to the risks of use of NIR. 

Warning signs and labels

A person with management or control of a workplace must ensure that the presence and location of asbestos or ACM is clearly indicated, and where it is reasonably practicable to do so, by using labels. In some circumstances, it may be more appropriate to use warning signs. More information about labels and warning signs can be found in the How to Manage and Control Asbestos in the Workplace Code of Practice 2021 (PDF 1.1 MB).

Demolition, refurbishment, maintenance or service work

A person with management or control of a workplace must ensure the asbestos register is reviewed and revised if it is not adequate before demolition, refurbishment, maintenance or service work occurs on:

  • a building constructed before 31 December 1989
  • a non-building structure constructed or installed before 31 December 2003 if there are reasonable grounds to believe asbestos is installed in the structure
  • plant constructed or installed before 31 December 2003 if there are reasonable grounds to believe asbestos is installed in the plant.

A copy of the register must be given to the business or contractor that will be carrying out demolition, refurbishment, maintenance or service work at the workplace before the work starts.

The business or contractor carrying out demolition, refurbishment, maintenance or service work at a workplace must obtain a copy of the register before the work starts. If there is no register for the structure or plant, the business carrying out the demolition, refurbishment, maintenance or service work must not start the work until the structure or plant has been inspected to determine whether asbestos or ACM is present.

Removal of asbestos or ACM at a workplace

For any asbestos removal carried out a workplace which is not domestic premises, the asbestos removalist must obtain a copy of the asbestos register before the removal work is carried out.

Further information

More information about asbestos registers and asbestos management plans can be found in the How to Manage and Control Asbestos in the Workplace Code of Practice 2021 (PDF 1.1 MB).

Asbestos registers for workplaces

Downloads

  • Common locations of materials containing asbestos in a 1970s house [PDF 5.45 MB]
Footer top links
  • Subscriptions
  • Government and agency roles
  • Make an enquiry or register a complaint
  • Connect with us
Footer bottom links
  • Copyright
  • Disclaimers
  • Privacy
  • Right to information
  • Accessibility
  • Jobs in Queensland Government
  • Other languages

© The State of Queensland 2018-2023
Queensland Government

  • Home
  • General information
    • What is asbestos?
    • How was asbestos used?
    • Are there health effects?
    • The risks of exposure
    • Health monitoring
    • Legislation and codes of practice
    • Low density asbestos fibre board
      • Low density board photo gallery
    • Asbestos contaminated dust or debris
    • Fires
    • Cleaning up after floods and storms
    • Importation prohibited
    • Government and agency roles
    • Asbestos in government assets
  • Know where asbestos is
    • Common locations of asbestos in domestic and commercial buildings
    • Naturally occurring asbestos
    • Asbestos products gallery
    • Vehicles and plant
    • Electrical switchboards and meters
    • Marblesheen pool coatings containing asbestos
    • Testing for asbestos
    • Asbestos registers for workplaces
    • Asbestos management plans
  • Removing or disturbing asbestos
    • Prohibited activities
    • Wearing protective equipment
    • Safe work procedures
    • Asbestos removal work
    • Asbestos-related work
      • Induction and safety training for unlicensed work
    • Homeowner's certificate to remove asbestos
    • Air monitoring
    • Clearance inspections
    • Transport and disposal of asbestos waste
      • Important disposal information and illegal dumping
      • Requirements for transporting asbestos
      • Asbestos disposal information
  • Practical guidance
    • Asbestos workers and removalists
    • Trades and contractors
    • Homeowners and home renovators
      • Tips when home renovating
        • Homeowners: Look, check and prepare
      • Tips when hiring a contractor
    • Commercial building owners (of workplaces)
    • Body corporate and apartment owner occupiers
      • Is my body corporate a PCBU
      • Asbestos in body corporate common areas
    • Residential tenants, lessors and landlords
      • Add a warning sticker to your home
    • Volunteers
      • Is my volunteer association a PCBU?
      • Businesses and volunteers
    • Local government environmental health officers
      • Frequently asked questions from local government authorised persons
  • Resources
    • Asbestos alerts
    • Asbestos news
    • Codes of practice
    • Guidance
    • Films
      • Asbestos safety session 2021
      • Asbestos safety session 2020
      • Cleaning Asbestos Roofs
      • Shadow vacuuming with a H-Class vacuum cleaner
      • Use and maintenance of a H-Class vacuum cleaner
      • Identifying low density asbestos fibre board hazards and risks
      • Working safely with asbestos for the home renovator
      • How to properly wear personal protective equipment for airborne contaminants
      • Personal protective equipment
      • Dear Dad - An asbestos awareness film
      • Clear and present danger: Asbestos exposed
      • Uses and applications of asbestos - an extract from a film by Parsons Brinckerhoff
      • Asbestos health issues - an extract from a film by Parsons Brinckerhoff
      • Safe work procedure - storm and wind damage cleanup
      • Drilling into asbestos walls and ceilings
      • Asbestos - Removing switchboard panels
      • Decontamination procedure, personal decontamination and cleanup procedures
      • Asbestos awareness
    • Safe work procedures
      • Preparation before commencing the task
      • Preparing and painting corrugated asbestos cement roof and fences
      • Drilling into non-friable asbestos using a thickened substance to control airborne fibres and dust
      • Drilling into non-friable ACM using an H rated industrial HEPA filter vacuum to control airborne fibres and dust
      • Removing a small package electrical switchboard
      • Cleanup and disposal
      • Safe cleanup of storm damaged materials that may contain asbestos
    • Frequently asked questions for homeowners and the general public
    • Podcasts
    • Strategies
    • Working Safely with Asbestos Guide
    • Asbestos Awareness Week 2022
    • Induction and safety training for unlicensed work
  • Sanctions
    • Asbestos on-the-spot fines
    • Sanctions against asbestos licence holders
    • Prosecutions