NEW REGULATIONS REQUIRE LICENCE TO REMOVE NZ’S NUMBER ONE WORKPLACE KILLER
Asbestos remains New Zealand’s number one killer in the workplace, with many individuals exposed to it during their ordinary course of work. There is now a requirement under the Health and Safety at Work (Asbestos) Regulations 2016, that all workers who may be exposed to this hazard, are made aware of the danger of Asbestos. This means if you work in building and construction or any sort of demolition or refurbishment that involves Asbestos, or Asbestos Containing Material (ACM), the PCBU (person conducting a business or undertaking) will need to obtain a WorkSafe removal licence by 4 April 2018.
Safety n’ Action, leaders in health and safety training have just launched a New Zealand based Asbestos Removal – Class B course and a Supervise and Remove Class B Asbestos course, covering the unit standards required to apply for the applicable WorkSafe licences.
Safety n’ Action CEO – Annemarie Browne said, “We are pleased to be supporting WorkSafe’s commitment to a safer workplace and the Government’s target to reduce the rate of fatal and serious work-related injury by 25% by the year 2020.”
Successful completion of these courses will enable you to attain unit standards 2138, 29765 & 29767.
Once these unit standards are secured, your PCBU can apply for a Class B Removal Licence and nominate Supervisors on their licence with WorkSafe NZ to carry out the safe removal of any amount of Non-Friable Asbestos and ACM. The removal licence must have at least one nominated supervisor.
“We really need to take the impact of working with Asbestos seriously,” said Safety ’n Action Health, Safety and Technical Manager - Keith Barnett. “By empowering workers to understand the risks and hazards associated with working with asbestos and using the correct procedures and PPE when removing it, we can significantly reduce the potentially lethal harm that can easily occur.”
For more information on Asbestos management and removal of asbestos or the new licensing requirements, please refer to Worksafe. For all your training needs, contact us.
Safety ‘n Action are New Zealand’s leader in Health and Safety training and consultancy. Established in 2001 we are an NZQA accredited private training establishment with a Category One NZQA rating and over 35 full time trainers located around the country.
If you or your team work in the construction industry or any sort of demolition or refurbishment then you will need to be aware of when and where you could be exposed to Asbestos.
Under the Health and Safety at Work (Asbestos) Regulations 2016, a PCBU (a company, sole trader, or self-employed person) is required to have an Asbestos Removal Licence issued by WorkSafe to legally remove more than 10m2 of non-friable asbestos (Class B). Unit standards covered: 2138 and 29765
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