Asbestos is a grouping of six naturally occurring minerals made of long thin fibres.
The fibres in this material are resistant to fire, heat, and chemicals. They can be used as construction materials.
Asbestos was commonly used in insulation, roofing, flooring, and other building materials until the late 1970s when asbestos health hazards were discovered.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about identifying asbestos and asbestos awareness course 11084NAT training.
Asbestos Identification
It’s not always easy to identify asbestos. It can be hard to identify asbestos without the right training and experience.
How do you identify asbestos at home?
The fibres of asbestos are so small that they are nearly invisible to the naked eye. You can ask asbestos testing professionals to test a suspected material for asbestos. It is possible to positively identify asbestos in certain circumstances.
Check the label of the insulation to find out if asbestos is present.
If you can access the paperwork, look up the name and manufacturer on the label. The manufacturing label will have a date between 1940 and 1980. This means that it is more likely to contain asbestos.
Still unsure if the material is asbestos?
Some asbestos products can have a pattern that appears as small dimples or shallow craters on the surface.
Materials that were later used in place of asbestos did not leave the same texture.
This is not a foolproof method of identifying asbestos, but it could be a good indicator if asbestos was used in your home.
Asbestos can be detected by means of markers.
Manufacturers often mark products such as insulation with a symbol indicating the use of asbestos fibres.
If information is provided that discloses asbestos use, the label will say either AC (contains asbestos) or NT.
It is not recommended that homeowners go looking for asbestos in their homes.
You may unknowingly expose yourself to toxic fibres if the material contains asbestos and is friable.
When trying to identify the presence of asbestos in your home, it is best to have an expert analyse the material.
Asbestos Testing Guidelines
Only professionals with experience can take a sample of asbestos, for example:
- Asbestos removalists and asbestos testers are licensed professionals.
- Occupational Hygienists.
- A laboratory accredited.
WHS Regulations 419
According to Safe Work Australia, a PCBU cannot carry out, direct, or allow workers to carry out asbestos work, except under prescribed circumstances.
This includes manufacturing, supplying, or transporting asbestos or asbestos-containing material (ACM), removing it, using or installing it, or handling, treating, or disposing of asbestos.
A national asbestos ban came into force on 31 December 2003. This included a prohibition of work in the workplace involving ACM or asbestos.
This prohibition is not applicable if asbestos was used in the following types of work:
- Research and analysis that is based on real data.
- Identification and sampling in accordance with WHS Regulations.
- Maintenance or service work carried out on non-friable ACM or asbestos, installed or fixed before the 31st of December 2003 in accordance with WHS Regulations.
- Removal or disposal of ACM or asbestos, including demolition, in accordance with WHS Regulations.
- Display, preparation, or maintenance of an item or artifact that contains or is made of asbestos or ACM.
- Management of asbestos in situ that was installed before the 31st of December 2003 in accordance with WHS Regulations.
- Disturbs asbestos in mining operations that are not asbestos extraction or exploration.
- Laundering asbestos-contaminated clothing in accordance with the WHS Regulations, or
- The regulator may approve the method used to manage asbestos-related risks.
- Work that is carried out according to a prohibited asbestos warning issued under section 19B of the Act.
Is Asbestos Awareness Training Mandatory?
Anyone whose normal job duties reasonably likely expose them to asbestos must undergo asbestos awareness training. Although it is not legislated in every state of Australia (except the ACT), employers are increasingly using the 11084NAT Course in Asbestos Awareness as the gold standard of training (largely to future-proof any future claims).
Examples include:
Workers who enter ceiling cavities
- Electricians, plumbers, carpenters and joiners, plasterers and painters; gas fitters; demolition workmen; and floor finishers.
- Emergency services workers.
- Building and construction workers.
In the ACT, there is a mandatory secondary course for electricians and plumbers called 10852NAT Course in Working with Asbestos Containing Materials.
The 11084NAT course in asbestos awareness has been nationally accredited. This course is designed for workers who could be exposed to ACMs or asbestos.
It is aimed at electricians and builders, handymen, air conditioning installers, cleaners engineers, landscapers, and demolition crews.
This AlertForce training can be completed within four hours and will teach you how to properly identify asbestos-containing materials.
In the ACT, it is mandatory for workers who have a reasonable likelihood of working with asbestos or ACMs to complete that course.
Most quality safety officers recommend that, although other jurisdictions may not require this type of training, they avoid non-accredited asbestos training because employers, PCBUs, or job sites might not recognise the certificates issued by these courses.
11084NAT Course Outcomes
This course provides participants with knowledge and skills to:
- Understand the risks to your health and safety when you work or encounter asbestos.
- Be aware of the possible locations for it in your workplace.
- If asbestos is suspected or detected, follow the correct procedure.
Why Choose AlertForce to Complete Your 11084NAT Course?
We offer nationally accredited training and qualifications that are in line with National Training Packages, under the National Framework of Training.
The training is designed around the real-world workplace.
Our team is comprised of professionals with decades of experience in various fields, including the building industry as well as industrial cleaning.
Our trainers are experts in asbestos removal and know what’s happening within the industry.
Our training not only raises awareness about asbestos at work, but also gives you information that you can share with your family.
Format for Asbestos Awareness Training Course
This is a four-hour face-to-face asbestos awareness classroom-based training program. Training is also available via live webinar.
The participants will learn what asbestos is, how to identify it, and its long-term health effects. They will also learn what they should do if they find asbestos.
Asbestos Awareness Training ACT Accreditation
All successful participants will receive at the end of their training a Statement of Attainment,
The accreditation documentation for on-site training will be sent to you or your company within five days of the course’s completion.
This training is available in all Australian states. If you need this training but are not located in Sydney or ACT, don’t worry!
Call us, and we can give you a quote for coming to your location.
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