Earlier this month, the South Australian regulator took action to immediately suspend the class B asbestos removal licence held by a South Australian licensed asbestos removalist and demolition contractor.

SafeWork SA, along with the EPA, had been closely monitoring the business activities of the contractor and determined the business had failed to comply with section 19 of the WHS Act (SA) to take reasonable care of their workers’ health and safety and to ensure they did not adversely impact others.

Evidence put together by the agencies showed the contractor had put workers and others at risk of exposure to asbestos by failing to remove all asbestos from a site, they did not decontaminate the site and failed to engage a licensed assessor to carry out a clearance inspection.

Anyone involved in the demolition or refurbishment of a structure or plant that was installed or fixed before 31 December 2003 must comply with asbestos regulations.

Further information.