Bricks and Mortar

Asbestos fibres are released into the air when people handle asbestos-containing materials with poor safety procedures. Asbestos fibres are around 50 to 200 times thinner than human hair, can be invisible, and can be easily inhaled. They can become trapped deep in your lungs and cause damage over a long time.

The two asbestos-containing material groups include:

• Bonded (non-friable) asbestos materials are made up of a bonding agent (such as cement) with asbestos fibres added. They usually contain less than 15 per cent of asbestos and normally do not release fibres unless they are disturbed, damaged, or have deteriorated over time.
• Friable (loosely bound) asbestos materials are those that can be crumbled or reduced to powder by hand. Bonded asbestos can become friable if severely fire-damaged or crusted. Friable asbestos materials are the most dangerous as the fibres can be released into the air.

The Asbestos Regulations apply to organisations that work with asbestos and to businesses that manage or control workplaces. The regulations also apply to landlords. We need to identify and manage asbestos in our buildings, taking into account all building users to reduce any chance of exposure to asbestos fibres. Preferably, all asbestos should be removed from all church buildings.

To assist businesses in meeting their obligations, WorkSafe has published

• Approved Code of Practice: Management and Removal of Asbestos (under review)
• Interpretive guidelines – Health and Safety at Work (Asbestos) Regulations 2016
• Managing asbestos in your building or workplace

Asbestos was first used in the late 1800s, primarily in exterior stucco coatings and in backing boards beneath the stucco. It became more prevalent from the 1920s to the mid-1980s. While importing certain types of asbestos was prohibited in 1984 and others in 1999, the import of asbestos-containing materials was only banned in New Zealand in 2016. This leaves a period from 1870 to 2016, when buildings might contain asbestos, and from 1920 to 1985, when they are more likely to contain asbestos.

Policy

The Methodist Church owns many properties and buildings that are highly likely to include asbestos-containing materials. Especially as our older building stock ages and maintenance requirements increase.

The Church recognises that we have an ethical, moral, spiritual and legal requirement to do our utmost to manage the inherent and long-term risk asbestos poses to Our People ā Tātou Tāngata.

As such, the risk of asbestos in every Methodist-owned or occupied building must be actively managed until there is no asbestos present.

Why we need to manage asbestos

In 2010, asbestos was the number one workplace killer in New Zealand, with 170 people dying from asbestos-related diseases that year. All types of asbestos can cause asbestos-related disease, and most asbestos-related illnesses take around 20 years before symptoms start to show.

WorkSafe NZ introduced the Asbestos Regulations 2016 as part of the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 (page 2, number 42 Asbestos Management Policy). These regulations provide a methodical approach to asbestos management and working with asbestos.

Portfolio Management

If your group oversees a portfolio of properties, consider how asbestos risks are managed for each property.

• Managing asbestos surveys
• Monitoring identified asbestos materials for signs of deterioration
• Communicating and working with other organisations involved with the management of asbestos (such as tenants and asbestos contractors)
• Keeping asbestos records up to date
• Ensuring asbestos records are easily accessible as required

Rationale

A consistent Asbestos Management Approach will allow the Church to maintain a central registry of asbestos-containing properties, including information on what is being done at each property to manage asbestos risk.

Document disclaimer

This document relates to the management work wrapped around identifying and planning for asbestos.

This document excludes guidance on any work involving working with asbestos (removal, sealing, encapsulating, or otherwise controlling). Only qualified professionals should undertake asbestos-related building works contracts.

Highest Risk

Asbestos is most risky (and therefore currently a risk) when it is friable and/or airborne, typically as dust.

Therefore, if a building surface is breaking down and unstable, or if you are about to undertake work (demolition work or refurbishments) that involves making dust, you must ensure that asbestos is absent.

Risk Triggers

Use these risk triggers to guide what level of urgency is needed within your Asbestos Management Plan (AMP) actions.

Building categories

Ideally, all buildings will become Category 1, and there will be no Category 3 buildings.

Stages

Asbestos Management Plan provides the general baseline of the asbestos status of the building.

Demolition/Refurbishment Asbestos Surveys provide specific verification of the asbestos status in the areas that are going to be demolished or refurbished.

Clearance Certificates are issued once identified asbestos has been fully removed.

An asbestos management plan sets out where any identified asbestos or asbestos-containing material is present and how it will be managed. The plan should be updated as more information is gathered; it is a living document.

It is used for planning purposes to identify asbestos in buildings. It may contain assumptions of the presence of asbestos. Surface tests may be taken to identify asbestos, but testing is generally non-intrusive.

A copy of the plan should be kept with the building and should be quickly accessible to contractors and other workers.

Where to find it

See Bricks and Mortar Appendix E for a basic Asbestos Management Plan

• Pages 1 and 2 – information about the building and building users
• Pages 3 and 4 – information for workers and visitors coming on site

What it does

• Provides a basic statement of We don’t know, so we won’t touch.
• It is based on assumptions, and further proof will still be required
• Provides an easy, no-cost approach that anyone can do.
• Gathers basic building details, which consultants would also need for their management plans.

When to use it

Now. It is the foundation document to start all other documents.

What it does

Consultants have the experience and knowledge to create more in-depth asbestos management plans than the MCNZ version, including laboratory testing of easy-access, potentially asbestos-containing materials.

It is only a planning tool; a demolition/refurbishment survey is still required before any work is carried out to suspect asbestos areas

Independent

Asbestos assessors should have no conflict of interest when they carry out their work.

Where to get one

Check out the internet or Yellow Pages for consultants in your area, or contact the Connexional Office for assistance.

How much will it cost

It depends on the size and intricacy of your building. Good consultants should be able to provide a quote first. Budget for at least $2,000 and be prepared for more.

It should include

• Areas inspected/not inspected
• Diagrams of where tests were taken from and what tests were positive or negative for asbestos
• Photos of where the tests were taken from
• Details of the tested material
• Details of the materials assumed to contain asbestos
• Recommended controls for confirmed asbestos-containing materials

Click here for definitions

What are they

These surveys provide a definitive ‘does contain/ does not contain’ asbestos status to all materials in the building areas that are to have work carried.

The testing process may be intrusive to test hidden materials such as insulation, plaster covered with paint, paint, and inbuilt window or door seals, etc.

Where to get one

Check out the yellow pages for asbestos consultants in your area, or contact the Connexional Office for assistance.

Choosing a contractor

Look into a contractor’s experience and qualifications, and ensure that they have appropriate licenses and insurance, as well as looking at reviews and references.

It should include

• Areas inspected/not inspected
• Diagrams of where tests were taken from, and what tests were positive or negative for asbestos
• Photos of where the tests were taken from
• Details of the tested material
• Details of the materials assumed to contact asbestos
• Recommended controls for confirmed asbestos-containing asbestos

Because this is providing definitive information, no item should be left as “presumed to contain asbestos”.

What are they?

These plans detail how the asbestos will be safely removed, including communicating everyone’s roles as the work is undertaken.

Disclaimer

ARCPs are not covered further in Bricks and Mortar as they form part of the Renovation/Demolition Contractors' submission for project works for your building.

What are they?

At the end of asbestos removal work, an independent contractor (independent from the asbestos removal contractor) will test the work area to confirm that the asbestos is gone and provide an Asbestos Clearance Certificate.

Record Keeping

• These are important documents
• Keep them for the life of the building
• Make them easily available for workers and tenants to view

Communicate, cooperate, coordinate

Communicate asbestos risk with everyone who uses the building.

Ensure everyone participates to avoid activating the asbestos risk.

Your assessments and controls need to be shared with:

• everyone who works and/or lives at the property
• contractors and visitors and anyone else who is not full time at the property.

Consider using signage in appropriate places (next to or on the area or plant that potentially contains asbestos) to warn people of the risk.

There are ways to tell Others

• H & S book
• Sign in book
• Contractor sign up/induction
• Signs/labels (next to Building Warrant of Fitness etc)
• Property committee processes (property inspections etc)

Keep a register

A register should list all identified or assumed asbestos locations in a building that present, or are likely to present, a risk of exposure to breathable asbestos fibres.

Use information from all surveys and demolition/refurbishment/maintenance work to record what is or is not yet cleared of asbestos.

All asbestos records should be kept for the life of the building or as long as the Methodist Church owns it.

Refer to Appendix F for an Asbestos Register Template.

What records should include

Records should describe all identified asbestos in the workplace, or likely to be in the workplace occasionally, including:

• Asbestos Management Plan
• floor plan/s
• all demolition/renovation asbestos surveys
• all clearance certificates
• analysis results confirming whether a material at the workplace is or is not asbestos
• dates when the identification/inspections occurred
• photographs or drawings are useful to show the location of asbestos

Records availability

Records should be kept available for people that may be at risk from the asbestos: staff, visitors, contractors, future project workers.

Location Examples

Pictorial examples follow of where asbestos may have been used; it could be anywhere.

Risk assessment and controls

WorkSafe has provided a table of options and assessment criteria which will be used in the Asbestos Management Plan.

This table of asbestos management options follows the asbestos locations pictorial examples.

Table source: WorkSafe NZ

Project work process

Knowing early if a building contains asbestos or not will allow for more accurate planning of a project regarding the scope and budget.

Project Steps

The following steps should be undertaken once project work is planned, but before project work starts.

Inform MCPC

Ensure MCPC has a copy of your asbestos records or email them through to [E-Mail not displayed]

Further reference material

This table provides further useful WorkSafe NZ reference material.

Contact the Connexional Office if you have any queries.