Managing asbestos in schools

This guidance provides schools with processes, resources and regulations for dealing with asbestos.

Level of compliance	Main audience	Other
Required	Boards Principals and tumuaki Proprietors	General staff and administrators Teachers Health and Safety officers

Level of compliance

Main audience

Other

Required

Boards
Principals and tumuaki
Proprietors

General staff and administrators
Teachers
Health and Safety officers

Health and safety

According to WorkSafe New Zealand, buildings constructed before 1 January 2000 are likely to contain asbestos or asbestos-containing material.

This means that a large amount of Ministry infrastructure was built during the period when asbestos was used in construction.

Health risks

Where asbestos is left in place and is in good condition, it does not pose a significant health and safety risk.

However, if it is disturbed during refurbishment, demolition, excavation, or due to deterioration, there is a risk of asbestos fibres becoming airborne and causing potential health problems for anyone who may inhale the particles. Asbestos is a proven human carcinogen, all forms of asbestos can cause cancer.

Health and Safety at Work requirements

The Health and Safety at Work (Asbestos) Regulations 2016 place a requirement on a person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that all asbestos in schools is identified. If identified, any risks arising from the asbestos must be managed to eliminate or minimise exposure.

As the PCBU in control of the workplace school boards, principals and proprietors have a responsibility for managing asbestos.

Managing asbestos

The following steps should be followed by schools. Identifying any potential asbestos is the first step to managing exposure risk.

Identify if asbestos is present.
Create an asbestos management plan.
Record any risks in your hazard and risk register.
Communicate asbestos information.
Monitor the condition of the asbestos.

Identify any asbestos risk

Is your building built prior to 1 January 2000? If yes, it is likely to contain asbestos and you could assume that your school building could be exposed to risk.

How to help identify risks in your school:

use WorkSafe guidance to identify asbestos
train your staff how to identify asbestos and asbestos-containing materials
employ a surveyor to assess your building.

Code of Practice: Managing and removing asbestos – Asbestos(external link)

Create an asbestos management plan

If you, or a surveyor identify or assume the presence of asbestos in your school, an asbestos management plan is required.

An asbestos management plan sets out how the identified asbestos or asbestos-containing materials will be managed.

In order to prepare a management plan, you must engage an asbestos surveyor or someone who has good working and formal knowledge of asbestos management to make sure this is done properly and in accordance with the WorkSafe guidance.

Management plans must:

be in writing either in hard copy or electronic form
contain the legally required information outlined on the WorkSafe website
be updated if the condition of the identified or assumed asbestos changes.

Asbestos management plans – WorkSafe(external link)

Record asbestos risks in your hazard and risk register

Proactively manage any risks by using your hazard assessment register. Ensure the information is maintained and updated. The hazard register should provide details about assumed or identified asbestos or asbestos-containing materials.

Hazard assessment register [DOCX, 54 KB]

The register should refer to your asbestos management plan which will contain detailed information about the location, condition, quantity and monitoring plan.

Monitor and record risk areas regularly and have a process in place in case unexpected asbestos is found.

Communicate asbestos information

Ensure all asbestos information, including the asbestos management plan and hazard register, is accessible to staff and provided to all contractors undertaking work at your school.

Monitor the condition of asbestos

You should schedule regular inspections of asbestos or asbestos-containing materials and record any changes to the condition in your asbestos management plan.

Refurbishment, demolition and excavation projects

The asbestos management process is designed to ensure the safety of all people who may be affected by asbestos works, including pupils, teachers, contractors, visitors and neighbours.

It reflects good practice and ensures compliance with regulations.

Conduct an asbestos refurbishment or demolition survey.
Isolate the asbestos risk.
Remove the asbestos.
Communicate and consult.
Monitor air.
Obtain a clearance certificate and update the risk register.

This process should be followed by schools and boards when managing asbestos hazards. You must also follow our requirements for asbestos removal.

Ministry requirements for asbestos removal [PDF, 118 KB]

All asbestos removal control plans must be submitted to the Te Pou Hanganga, Matihiko (TPHM) Health and Safety team by email at TPHM.healthandsafety@education.govt.nz for review and acceptance before any removal works can start.

When undertaking works likely to disturb or damage asbestos, such as demolition or refurbishment, work must not begin until an asbestos refurbishment or demolition survey is completed.

For Ministry-run construction projects, we will work with the school to identify and manage the presence of asbestos before and during the project.

Paying for asbestos management

The cost of managing or removing asbestos safely is part of the project costs.

Conduct an asbestos refurbishment or demolition survey.
Isolate the asbestos risks.
Removing asbestos.
Communication and consultation.
Air monitoring.
Obtain a clearance certificate and update the risk register.

If this causes a major overrun in the project’s budget, help may be available. You should speak to your property advisor.

Conduct an asbestos refurbishment or demolition survey

This is an intrusive inspection of the specific area that will be affected and will confirm whether asbestos or asbestos-containing materials is present.

When commissioning an asbestos survey, ensure that the correct type of survey is conducted.

A management type survey is not acceptable for refurbishment or demolition projects.
Plan for how to manage access to subfloor and ceiling spaces, particularly for buildings which are still in use.
Prepare a complete overview of the scope of work to brief the survey assessor. They should also receive the details from your hazard register.

The survey must be done by a licensed asbestos assessor:

they must have sufficient training, qualifications, experience and ability to sample and identify asbestos
the assessor must use appropriate respiratory protective equipment as a minimum
samples must be analysed by an accredited laboratory

Respiratory protective equipment – WorkSafe(external link)

Asbestos surveyor competencies – WorkSafe(external link)

Isolate the asbestos risks

If asbestos is identified or assumed to be present, and the condition of the material may pose a risk to health in its current form or if it is disturbed as a result of work about to start, the work area should be isolated immediately and appropriate warning signage displayed until the risk has been effectively managed.

Remove asbestos

Asbestos removal work must be carried out by a licensed asbestos remover. They must prepare and deliver an asbestos removal control plan before they start any removal work.

All asbestos removal control plans must be submitted to the TPHM health and safety team for review and acceptance before any removal works can start.

You can email your asbestos removal control plan to TPHM.healthandsafety@education.govt.nz.

Communicate and consult

It is important to communicate to everyone who may be affected by the works.

This includes:

the workers and any other people in the workplace
the person who commissioned the asbestos removal work
any person at or in the immediate vicinity of the workplace, for example neighbours along boundary fences
anyone occupying premises in the immediate vicinity of the workplace, (for example, after school care programmes).

Communications must clearly state:

why the work is being undertaken
what is involved with the work
when it will start and finish, and
the safeguards that will be in place during the works.

Monitor air

Air monitoring is required on all school projects, no matter the size or class of removal, and must be carried out during the removal work.

This must be undertaken by a competent person with the appropriate skills and knowledge. The person must also be financially independent from the engaged asbestos removalist.

Obtain a clearance certificate and update the risk register

When any asbestos removal work is complete, you must ensure necessary clearances from an independent asbestos assessor are obtained before anyone not directly involved in the asbestos work can re-occupy the area.

If the situation involves the Ministry of Education or any other business engaging the removalist, then the removalist cannot engage the licensed asbestos assessor.

You should also update the school’s asbestos information (both school and Ministry records), the hazard and risk register for the project site (if applicable), and the hazard and risk register for the school.

Resources

Asbestos – Health New Zealand(external link)

Asbestos – WorkSafe(external link)

Code of Practice: Managing and removing asbestos – WorkSafe(external link)

Process flowcharts to help schools both on a day-to-day basis and when undertaking demolition or refurbishment projects:

Specific duties and tasks are further outlined in the following checklists to assist principals and caretakers:

Communicating with people who may be affected by the works:

Last reviewed: 18 June 2024 Has this been useful? Give us your feedback