25 June 2014

ACT Government Mandates Asbestos Awareness Training

| Canfan
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All workers who might be exposed to asbestos must undertake a mandatory course in asbestos awareness by 30 September, Minister for Workplace Safety and Industrial Relations, Simon Corbell, said today.

A new regulation will require employers and principal contractors to ensure their workers undertake the training by 30 September. The course will include a specific session on loose-fill asbestos insulation.

Asbestos is prevalent in the ACT built environment. It is safe to assume that homes and buildings constructed before 1990 contain asbestos materials especially in the eaves, internal and external wall cladding and ceilings (particularly in wet areas such as bathrooms and laundries).

“The course will educate workers so they are confident in identifying asbestos and asbestos products and so they can understand and follow the correct safety guidelines for reporting and communicating the existence of asbestos to ensure the risks associated with asbestos are avoided,” Mr Corbell said.

“It does not permit workers to disturb asbestos in any manner. There is a strict regulatory and licensing regime in place for assessing and removing asbestos.”

Employers and principal contractors have always had an obligation to ensure workers are appropriately trained. The building and construction industry have been on notice of this requirement becoming mandatory for some time.

“It is important that we do all we can to ensure workers are not exposed to asbestos now and into the future.

“The Work Safety Commissioner will soon issue a guidance note providing further information on the regulation to assist employers and principal contractors to comply with the mandatory requirements”.

The course is only mandated for workers but homeowners and DIY renovators are also encouraged to undertake the training.

(Simon Corbell Media Release)

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“All workers who might be exposed to asbestos must undertake a mandatory course in asbestos awareness “

How do they know if they might be exposed to asbestos unless they already know about asbestos?

This is all well meaning and all that but about 30 years too late.
I wonder how many people who do the course will say: “s@#t, isn’t that the same stuff as we ripped out of our laundry walls im 1990?”

VYBerlinaV8_is_back9:13 am 15 Jul 14

2much2do said :

The trainer providers are making a hefty profit on these courses. $198.00 per person for a 4 hour course is beyond ridiculous. With six people per course, they are making $297.00 per hour to deliver pretty basic information that can be obtained via Youtube/Google or, lord help us, by using one’s common sense.

Hefty profit? Do they have to pay for the training room/centre? Do they provide tea and coffee? Do they have to pay the trainer?

They’d be making a few bucks, but it’s not the stuff millionaires would be made of.

The trainer providers are making a hefty profit on these courses. $198.00 per person for a 4 hour course is beyond ridiculous. With six people per course, they are making $297.00 per hour to deliver pretty basic information that can be obtained via Youtube/Google or, lord help us, by using one’s common sense.

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