Asbestos in your home: a New Zealand homeowner's guide
This guide is for homeowners. It covers what to do if you think you have asbestos, who should remove it, when you need a survey, and how it's disposed of safely.
Could my home have asbestos?
WorkSafe's guidance is that a home built before 1 January 2000 may contain asbestos materials. For homes built after that date the risk is lower, but not zero, because asbestos products could still be imported into New Zealand until 1 October 2016.
Age isn't only about when the house was first built. Additions, extensions and renovations from before 2000 can also contain asbestos, so it's worth knowing your home's renovation history too.
Common places include:
Textured ("popcorn") ceilings, such as Glamatex or Whisper finishes
Fibre-cement sheet (for example, Fibrolite) used for cladding, soffits (the lining under the eaves) and wet-area wall linings
Vinyl and lino floor coverings, in the backing paper or the adhesive underneath
Roofing, such as corrugated cement sheet like "Super Six", and ridge capping
Fences, garages, carports and garden sheds made from cement sheet
Insulation around older heaters, fireplaces, stoves and hot water pipes
Older electrical switchboards and meter boards
For a picture of the most common spots, see our earlier post, Where does asbestos hide in a home?
You can't tell by looking
Asbestos cement can look identical to cement sheet without asbestos. WorkSafe is clear that the only way to confirm asbestos is to test a sample, and that sampling should be done by a reputable asbestos professional.
That means no breaking off a corner to "have a look", and no scraping the ceiling into a bag. Taking a sample is itself a way of disturbing asbestos. If you're not sure whether something contains asbestos, treat it as if it does until it's been tested.
If you find or suspect asbestos
WorkSafe's advice for homeowners comes down to a few simple steps:
Don't disturb it. Don't drill, cut, sand, scrape or water-blast it.
Tell the people you live with (and your landlord, if you rent). Keep children and pets away from the area.
Get advice from a reputable asbestos professional, or from the National Public Health Service.
Plan how to manage it, with professional help. Material in good condition is often best left where it is. An asbestos professional can advise whether it should stay, be sealed or enclosed, or be removed, based on how much there is, its condition, where it is, and whether work is planned nearby.
Bonded (non-friable) asbestos, like most cement sheet, generally doesn't release fibres when it's in good condition and left alone. Friable asbestos, which is crumbly or powdery, releases fibres much more easily.
If you've disturbed it by accident
It happens. If you've drilled into, cut or broken something that might contain asbestos, WorkSafe recommends you:
Stop work straight away and keep other people and pets out.
Leave the area and close the doors and windows.
Wipe yourself down with damp rags (don't brush yourself off).
Take off your outer layer of clothing without shaking it, and double-bag it with the used rags.
Don't try to clean up the dust or debris yourself. Get professional advice, and don't go back into the area until you've been told it's safe.
Asbestos-related diseases take many years to develop, so you're very unlikely to become sick quickly. If you think you've been exposed, mention it to your GP at your next regular appointment.
Who should remove asbestos?
Our advice is simple: don't remove asbestos yourself. Without the right training, equipment and controls, removal can release fibres and spread them through your home, turning a contained problem into a contaminated house. WorkSafe warns that attempting to remove or work on asbestos without specialist training is extremely dangerous, can cause problems that are very expensive to fix, and that it can be safer and more cost-effective to hire an asbestos contractor from the start.
The safe approach is to bring in two independent professionals.
1. A WorkSafe-licensed asbestos removalist to do the removal. When you pay someone to work on your home, it becomes a workplace for the duration of the job, and the Asbestos
Regulations set out who can remove what:
Friable asbestos (crumbly or powdery), any amount: only a Class A licensed removalist.
More than 10 m² of non-friable (bonded) asbestos: a Class B (or Class A) licensed removalist. The 10 m² is counted cumulatively over the whole project for the site, so a big job can't be split into small ones.
10 m² or less of non-friable asbestos: the law doesn't require a licence, but the work must still be done by a competent person trained in asbestos removal. Even for small jobs, we recommend using a licensed removalist.
You can check that a removalist holds a current licence on WorkSafe's licence holder register.
2. An independent asbestos assessor to test and clear. WorkSafe advises that the assessor should come from a different business from the removalist. They can confirm what needs removing, check the removalist's asbestos removal control plan before work starts, and inspect the area afterwards. When the licensed removal is finished, a clearance inspection must be done before the area is used again. For friable (Class A) removal, it must be done by an independent licensed asbestos assessor. Our post on asbestos clearance certificates explains how clearance works.
If you own a rental property, the advice is the same: engage a WorkSafe-licensed asbestos removalist and an independent asbestos assessor to help you.
When do you need an asbestos survey?
Before renovating or demolishing. If a builder or other trade will be refurbishing or demolishing any part of a pre-2000 home, they must make sure that all asbestos likely to be disturbed is identified, and removed as far as reasonably practicable, before work starts. This doesn't cover minor or routine maintenance, but that's no licence to disturb suspected asbestos. In practice, the homeowner usually commissions a refurbishment/demolition survey of the area being worked on so the builder can price and plan the job. Our post on management vs demolition surveys explains which survey fits which job.
Before buying or selling. The Asbestos Regulations don't require a survey when a house is sold. However, for a pre-2000 home a pre-purchase or pre-sale asbestos inspection is sensible due diligence. It tells you what's there, its condition, and what it might cost to deal with before you renovate.
After damage. Storms, floods, fires and burst pipes can break asbestos materials. If your home has been damaged and you suspect asbestos, keep out of the area and get professional advice before the clean-up starts.
What a survey involves
A homeowner's survey is usually simpler than people expect:
Questions first. When was the house built? Has it been extended or renovated? What work are you planning?
A visual inspection of the house, or of the area to be worked on. For a renovation survey this can be intrusive, such as lifting floor coverings or looking behind linings.
Sampling. Small samples are taken from suspect materials. Each one is sealed and double-bagged, and the sample point is left clean and sealed with tape or filler.
Lab analysis. Under the Regulations, an "accredited laboratory" means one accredited by IANZ (International Accreditation New Zealand) or under another regime recognised by WorkSafe. Our samples are analysed by an IANZ-accredited laboratory.
A written report showing where asbestos was found or presumed, its type and condition, and what to do next.
Disposing of asbestos waste
Asbestos waste can't go in your wheelie bin, your household rubbish or an inorganic collection, and it must never be burned or dumped. It has to be sealed, labelled and taken to an approved disposal site. Your licensed removalist will handle this for you as part of the job.
In Auckland, council transfer stations don't accept asbestos, and the council's advice is to use a licensed asbestos removalist to dispose of it. Rules elsewhere vary by council.
When to call a professional
Call in an asbestos professional if:
you're planning a renovation, extension or demolition on a pre-2000 home
you've found something you suspect is asbestos, especially if it's damaged or crumbly
you've disturbed something by accident
asbestos needs to be removed (always use a WorkSafe-licensed removalist)
you're buying or selling an older home and want to know what's there
asbestos removal has been done and you need an independent clearance before moving back in.
How AirSafe can help
AirSafe Environmental Solutions is an independent asbestos consultancy. Our work is led by a Licensed Asbestos Assessor, and we don't do removal, so our advice is impartial. We're Auckland-based, covering all of New Zealand; travel costs for jobs outside Auckland are discussed when you enquire.
Asbestos surveys for renovations, demolitions and pre-purchase checks, with reports typically in 3–5 business days
Sampling and testing, analysed by an IANZ-accredited laboratory
Independent clearance inspections after removal, with reports usually within 24 hours
If you're not sure whether something in your home contains asbestos, or you're planning work on an older house, get in touch. Email info@airsafe.net.nz or call 021 292 9688, and we'll talk you through the options.
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