Policy and ProceduresManagement and removal of asbestosSDMS ID Number P2012/0178-059

SDMS Title Management and Removal of Asbestos – Policy - P2012/0178-059

Effective From 1 September 2012

Applies to All Housing Tasmania employees

Custodian Manager, Housing Strategy

Summary This policy defines the protocols and procedures for managing asbestos containing materials in properties owned by the Director of Housing.

Replaces Doc. No. n/a

Author Area Housing Strategy - Asset Planning and Policy

Contact Manager, Housing Strategy

Review Date June 2015_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Asbestos Policy V1.1

September 2012

Policy Intent

Policy Statement

Scope

Background

To ensure that asbestos containing materials present in homes owned by the Director of Housing (Director) are well managed and do not become a health risk, prior to them being removed.This is done by ensuring that the materials remain in a good and non-friable condition.

Housing Tasmania’s objective is the removal of all asbestos from its properties.Until asbestos is removed, Housing Tasmania will work to prevent any asbestos containing material from becoming degraded or damaged.Degraded materials may become friable and release airborne fibres. When inhaled or swallowed, the fibres can lodge inside internal organs and cause serious illness or death.To ensure safety, Housing Tasmania will:

quickly remove damaged or degraded asbestos containing materials from homes

maintain materials ‘in situ’ in good condition remove materials during maintenance and upgrading

work, and on a priority basis, remove and dispose of asbestos

materials from properties over time.

Properties owned by the Director and included in social housing rental programs are covered by this policy. Included is Aboriginal housing and stock where management is transferred under Better Housing Futures.The policy does not apply to properties in which the Director of Housing has equity ownership or other financial interests. Generally these are properties held within the Community Housing Program, including those managed by Indigenous Community Housing Organisations.

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral used in building materials. It is no longer used because it is dangerous.The materials are still present in many houses built before 2003, including public housing.

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Asbestos management and removal-

Asbestos containing materials may be present in some 6 000 properties owned by the Director.Housing Tasmania has identified the materials that may contain asbestos and be present in its homes.To be certain a material contains asbestos it must be scientifically tested.Housing Tasmania does not test all materials. Instead, materials are managed as though they contain asbestos. The money that may otherwise be spent on testing is used to keep materials in good condition, until they are removed.

Residences which are not places of workOnce damage is reported Housing Tasmania will act quickly to remediate any suspect material.Stable material will remain ‘in situ’ until removed.Materials being managed ‘in situ’ are ranked to determine the priority for removal.The ranking system considers risk. The level of risk is based on material condition and the likelihood of the material becoming damaged or degraded.The ranking system is used to prioritise the removal of materials over time, based on budget availability.As far as is reasonably practical Housing Tasmania will continue to consistently and routinely remove suspected asbestos materials as part of its maintenance and upgrading activities.Planned asbestos removal programs of ‘stable’ product will continue to occur, as budgets allow.

Residences and other properties which are places of workIn accord with legislation, an asbestos register will be developed for each property which is a place of work.The register will be developed by an authorised person following an assessment of the property.Each register will be updated when a material change occurs.All registers will be checked within a five year period from the

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date of the initial register and each subsequent five year period.Properties which require Form 56 Maintenance Compliance Certificates are usually places of work as well as residences. These properties will receive priority for the preparation of asbestos registers.Until a register is developed, suspect materials will be managed in accordance with the process for residences which are not places of work.Once damage to a suspect material is reported, Housing Tasmania will act quickly to ensure safety.A copy of the register will be maintained on the premises.

GeneralWhen properties are to be sold or transferred to other housing providers there will be full disclosure of known or suspected asbestos materials.Property assessment surveys of the Director’s properties will continue to be undertaken on a planned basis.Removal and disposal of the products will be undertaken by appropriately licensed contractors and in accord with Housing Tasmania’s Asbestos Safety System, or similar.

Application Implementation of the policy and its associated documents will: provide information and direction to Housing Operations

which has tenancy, maintenance, upgrading, sales and stock transfer responsibilities

identify possible asbestos containing products and their likely location in houses

require an assessment of the risk of the product to health, by taking into account the products condition, type, location, and likelihood of disturbance

require products to be ranked according to its potential risk to health; manage the ongoing condition of the product in situ; and manage its ultimate removal based on its risk factors and availability of funds

require the establishment of recording and reporting mechanisms which will enable Housing Tasmania to

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monitor and report on performance relating to the managed removal of asbestos from the Director’s properties, as appropriate. Require that residential facilities which are designated work- places, have an asbestos register on site, and a twelve monthly condition inspection of suspected materials

provide direction to budget managers, in order to established funding for asbestos removal programs, and

guide asbestos management practices which are consistent with Commonwealth and State government legislation.

Legal and Policy Framework

The Homes Act 1935The Residential Tenancy Act 1997.Work Place Health and Safety Act 1995 – Applicable when residences become places of work

Work Place Health and Safety Regulations 1998The Public Health Act 1997The Local Government Act 1993Code of Practice for the Safe Removal of AsbestosEnvironmental Management and Pollution Control Act 1994Environmental Management and Pollution Control (Controlled Waste Tracking) Regulations 2010Asbestos Safety Management System for Housing Tasmania July 2010

Exemptions None

Responsibilities/ Delegations

Housing Tasmania staff and contractors are responsible for ensuring the appropriate application of the policy.Housing Operations, the Housing Innovations Unit, Finance, and Compliance and Corporate Support, are responsible for

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implementation of the policy, as appropriate.

Disclaimer This is a statewide policy and must not be reinterpreted so that subordinate policies exist. Should discrete operational differences exist, these should be expressed in the form of an operating procedure or protocol that must be approved at the same level as this policy. This policy will be reviewed and adapted as state policies change.

Audit and Compliance

Failure to comply with this policy, without providing a good reason for doing so, may lead to disciplinary action.Compliance with this policy is monitored as appropriate by Housing Strategy and with delegated responsibility -

Manager Housing Operations - responsible for maintenance, upgrading and tenancy management

Manager Housing Innovations Unit – responsible for demolitions to make way for new development, and

Manager Compliance and Corporate Support – demolitions and upgrades as a result of insurance claims.

Procedures and Forms

All Housing Tasmania’s staff and contractors have responsibility for implementation of the policy.The procedural intent is that:

tenants develop awareness of the likely presence of asbestos in properties, the risk of asbestos to health and how both staff and tenants can assist Housing Tasmania to manage the risk

purchasers of Housing Tasmania’s properties are provided with all information about suspect materials that may be present in a property, as known by Housing Tasmania (vendor disclosure), and

Housing Tasmania’s records show work undertaken on asbestos products including the removal of such products in accord with the policy.

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Residences which are not places of workTenancy Officers will provide the following information to tenants at lease sign-up - a copy of the policy, the Asbestos Fact Sheet and Product List, the Asbestos Website: www.asbestos.tas.gov.au for general information, and the Housing Contact Centre 1300 665 663 phone number, for reporting damage.Tenancy Officers undertaking routine property inspections will provide the Asbestos Fact Sheet and Product List to tenants, remind tenants of the potential for asbestos to be in their home, and reinforce that tenants must not alter their property in any way, without approval from Housing Tasmania.Tenancy Officers will also reinforce the need for tenants to quickly report damage to Housing Tasmania and will also report any observed property damage to the Housing Contact Centre.Tenancy Officers are not required to assess the likelihood that the observed damage is or is not likely to involve asbestos containing materials.The intention is that all visible damage to materials in a home is reported.Damage reported to the Housing Contact Centre will be managed in accord with the policy.

Residences and other properties which are places of workTenants in these properties will be provided with asbestos information in the same manner as for residences which are not places of work. For example, information will be provided at sign-up by the person undertaking the sign-up (see above).In addition, these properties will have an asbestos register prepared by an authorised provider. A copy of the register will be available at the property and will be updated when work impacting of asbestos containing materials is undertaken.Until a register is prepared for a property, all potential asbestos containing materials will be managed in accord with risk.

Sale PropertiesThe Home Ownership and Sales Officer is responsible for making full disclosure of corporate knowledge relating to

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suspected asbestos materials being in a sale property, to potential purchasers. This includes:

providing a copy of the Asbestos Register (where one exists) for an individual property, to the Real Estate Agent responsible for selling the property, for disclosure to potential purchasers

providing a copy of the Asbestos Fact Sheet and Product List, to the Real Estate Agent for disclosure to potential purchasers prior to the signing of a contract

ensuring sales contracts provide for appropriate asbestos exposure information, and

a letter from the Director – Housing to potential home buyers outlining the need for extreme care when dealing with asbestos products, particularly in respect to home renovation, and the Asbestos Fact Sheet and Product List.

Contractors including Marsh InsuranceContractors are to provide Housing Tasmania with information relating to work undertaken on Housing Tasmania’s properties, including an estimate of the amount of asbestos removed by the date of removal and by property address and cost; whenever such work is undertaken.Where an asbestos register exists, the register is to be updated when work on asbestos materials is undertaken.

ReportingCompliance and Corporate Support will provide an annual report to the Manager Housing Operations and Work Place Standards, which will identify the level of suspected materials removed from properties, by the estimated amount (m2), cost and municipality.

Policy UpdatesThe policy will be updated to reflect legislative or state policy changes as required.

Glossary Friable: (loosely bound) asbestos materials. The Model Health

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Appendices/Attachments

and Safety Regulations define friable asbestos as material that is in a powder form or that can be crumbled, pulverised or reduced to a powder by hand pressure when dry, and contains asbestos. This is the definition applicable to this policy.Non-friable: (bound) asbestos materials. The Model Work Health and Safety Regulations define non-friable asbestos as material containing asbestos fibres reinforced with a bonding compound. Non-friable (bound) asbestos materials are unlikely to release fibres, unless damaged through mechanical means such as drilling and sanding. In general these materials are less risky to health than friable forms. This is the definition applicable to this policy.In situ: materials in their original position, not having been moved or transferred to another position.

Attachment 1 Asbestos Removal – Standard Dwellings (Domestic Use) – Material and Priority Risk AssessmentAttachment 2 Material Identification and LocationAttachment 3 Asbestos Safety Management System for Housing Tasmania July 2010Attachment 4 Asbestos Fact Sheet

Policy Title and Version Management and Removal of Asbestos v1.1Effective Date 1 September 2012Review Date June 2015Document NumberReplaces Document Number

n/a

Custodian Housing Tasmania – Housing Strategy - Asset Planning and PolicyApproved by Manager, Housing Strategy

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