The Approved Code of Practice for the Management and Removal of Asbestos was implemented 4 April 2016.

The Code of Practice sets out WorkSafe New Zealand’s expectations in relation to identifying and controlling the work health and safety risks arising from asbestos, in order to achieve compliance with the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 and the Health and Safety at Work (Asbestos) Regulations 2016.

Health and Safety at Work (Asbestos) Regulations 2016 outlines a number of situations where there is a requirement to identify the presence of asbestos and asbestos-containing material (ACM).

Regulations mean that the most effective and safest way to identifying asbestos and ACM is to have a survey carried out by a qualified asbestos surveyor.​

Dangers of Asbestos

Asbestos is the name used for a group of naturally occurring minerals that are made up of many small fibres. Because these fibres are very strong and are highly resistant to heat, fire, chemicals, and wear due to friction, they were often used in housing and construction materials, as well as common household items, from the 1940's to the 1990's.

Inhaling asbestos can be dangerous to your health and may result in the following health conditions:

• asbestosis (scarring of lung tissue)

• mesothelioma (malignant tumours, cancers which develop around the lungs or intestine)

• pleural plaques (thickening of membranes around the lungs)

• lung cancer.

For more information, you can visit the Ministry of Health website