Healthy Homes New Zealand in partnership with Precise Consulting and Laboratory offer a professional service to meet the requirements of homeowners under the Health & Safety in the Workplace Act and the Residential Tenancies Act, offering a cost effective surveying and sampling service that is reliable and offers results quickly. Not only does the service provide the technical expertise to assess and report on asbestos, they also hold the knowledge to provide trusted advice on the implication of the results and best next steps.
This month they explain the three types of asbestos testing and surveying, which are Management, Refurbishment and Demolition, with each being designed for a specific purpose.
An Asbestos Management Survey is designed to locate asbestos in a property. This survey is typically used prior to minor maintenance work or to help manage any potential risks associated with asbestos.
Similarly, an Asbestos Refurbishment Survey is designed to locate asbestos in a property before major work commences, and the purpose of the Refurbishment Asbestos Survey is to locate all asbestos in the property before renovation works have started. The sampling method is intrusive as asbestos can be hiding in difficult to locate areas.
An Asbestos Demolition Survey is designed to locate asbestos in a property before it is demolished. This survey is also designed to give clearance to the area once demolition has been completed.
Health and Safety regulations introduced in 2016 have seen an increase in the requirements for building owners and employers to know the location and condition of asbestos containing materials. The 2019 Amendment to the Residential Tenancies Act has provided clarification that asbestos is considered a ‘contaminant’ and therefore is subject to exemplary damages of up to $4000 per breach.
Healthy Homes’ Asbestos Management Plan sets out where asbestos or asbestos containing material is and how any risks will be managed, and needs to be in place before any work is undertaken on a property that might create a risk of asbestos, so for more information on asbestos testing and healthy homes assessments please go to https://www.healthyhomesnz.co.nz .
