Asbestos Services
Virotech have a team of highly qualified WorkSafe and BOHS licensed consultants who can handle the full array of Asbestos services including testing, surveying, clearance certification and project management.
Asbestos Testing
& Sampling
Our international recognised British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS) qualified technicians can take samples of possible asbestos containing materials and have them tested at an independent approved IANZ testing lab. Testing is likely required to complete an Asbestos Survey and we can advise on your specific projects requirement. Virotech is also experienced in soil testing for asbestos contamination.
Asbestos Surveys
Any commercial or industrial building constructed prior to 2000 is required to conduct an asbestos survey and hold this information on site for interested parties to refer to. This will locate and document all locations on site with asbestos containing materials. There are a number of specialist surveys depending on your requirements (Management, Demolition, Refurbishment) and Virotech can advise on, and complete, all of these. Also, the Management surveys can become interactive, ensuring the occupants, team members and/or trades people stay safe and healthy. Ask us for a demonstration.
Asbestos Management Plans
If an Asbestos Management Survey identifies asbestos containing materials, then an Asbestos Management Plan is recommended to identify how to manage the risk of the asbestos on site. A Management Plan ensures a workplace or property owner has a clear plan to minimise the risk of asbestos exposure to workers, tenants, clients or other visitors. This is especially important to help prevent potential asbestos contamination often caused by contractors not aware of the asbestos hazard. Speak to us today about a range of interactive tools we have for managing this.
Asbestos Containment
Part of a sites asbestos management plan is to ensure the asbestos is safe and contained. One way to do this is to examine the state of the asbestos fixture and identify how to safely encapsulate or enclose the asbestos under the strict WorkSafe NZ regulations. There are a number of different techniques we use for this and we can provide a full plan, proposal and carry out the works.
Asbestos Air Monitoring
& Clearance
Once asbestos has been removed from a premises, the area must be carefully inspected to ensure all asbestos containing materials have been removed properly and the location is safe for re-occupation. If the removal is deemed to be Class A (airborne asbestos during removal), then the clearance approval can only be undertaken by an independent WorkSafe NZ licensed assessor such as Virotech. Air monitoring is undertaken to ensure the asbestos is contained.
Asbestos Project Management
Our project management service ensures that a coherent and well thought through plan of all the different aspects of large format asbestos projects are considered. We have managed large projects and our approach is to split this into two parts:
1. Ensuring your asbestos clearance project is managed from surveying through to final removal and clearance inspection/ reporting.
2. Managing multiple sites and assets across New Zealand for businesses, property owners and property management/ services companies.
Your Obligations
Under the new 2016 regulations it became a PCBU’s responsibility to hold an Asbestos register onsite including any materials within a built environment that may include asbestos. This needs to be monitored and updated every year. There are specific rules around what needs to happen if there is wear and tear to the asbestos containing areas of the building, or if any renovation or demolition work is to be carried out. This work can only be completed by a WorkSafe NZ approved consultant and Virotech is qualified to monitor and provide clearance certificates for all aspects of this work.
Residential & Apartment Landlords and Property Managers
As a landlord you are the person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) for your rental property. You may also need to rely on other PCBUs – such as property managers and building contractors – to coordinate, collaborate and cooperate when they share overlapping duties with you.
Under HSWA you have a duty to identify asbestos and prepare an asbestos management plan for work involving a risk of exposure to respirable asbestos fibres. For example, exposure is likely to occur from dust created when drilling or cutting into asbestos-containing materials by tenants or contractors.
The risk of exposure depends on the kind of work you’re planning to do. Types of work that create risk may include maintenance, renovations, refurbishments or demolition work.
Virotech can support the full process from asbestos identification through to clearance certificates.