Audience
Department-wide
Purpose
This procedure outlines the roles, responsibilities and processes for the management of asbestos risks in facilities where the Department of Education (the department) is the lessee, such as temporary classroom space or office accommodation. The procedure is intended to complement leasing-specific procedures i.e. it does not override instructions in leasing-specific procedures.
This procedure does not cover the management of:
- asbestos in housing that is leased to the department (privately or government owned)
- facilities rented for one-off events of a short duration, such as the use of a community hall for a presentation night or concert.
Note that Public Private Partnership and Design Construct Maintain schools are not facilities in which the department is the lessee.
Overview
The department periodically enters into lease agreements for facilities to carry out its business operations and functions. Lease periods range in duration from short-term (for example, temporary classroom space while renovations are being conducted) to long-term (for example, where new office accommodation is required). The leases may be for an entire facility or for parts of a facility (for example, a single floor or a number of floors within a building complex). Facility leases may also be established via the Queensland Government Accommodation Office (QGAO) (noting only the Leasing of facilities via Queensland Government Accommodation Office section of this procedure applies to these facilities).
In line with the Queensland Government Asbestos Management Policy for its Assets (2021), the department aims to, where possible, lease facilities that are free of asbestos. Where this is not achievable the department seeks to:
- develop lease agreements that address responsibilities for asbestos management
- ensure controls are in place to manage asbestos risks during the term of a lease agreement.
While a facility owner has asbestos management responsibilities, the department also has asbestos management responsibilities when it occupies a facility that contains asbestos.
This procedure outlines the processes for consideration of asbestos risks during lease decision making, preparation or negotiation of leases for facilities containing asbestos, preparation of asbestos management plans for leased facilities, consideration of asbestos risks during works on leased facilities (where works are commissioned by the department) and response to departmental asbestos-related incidents.
This procedure relies on the application of certain parts of the following procedures:
The management of asbestos containing materials in facilities that are owned by the department, including where department-owned facilities or housing are leased to other tenants (for example, Early Childhood Education and Care service providers or employees) is addressed in the Asbestos management procedure.
The procedure identifies a range of roles that have responsibilities for managing asbestos in leased facilities, including ‘Officer in Charge (OIC) of a leased facility’, ‘departmental persons responsible for selecting facilities for leasing’, 'departmental persons responsible for managing a lease of a facility that contains ACM' and ‘departmental persons responsible for planning work’. These titles are used in recognition that departmental staff may be involved in all or only some of the activities required for leasing of facilities. Consequently, a person, such as a school principal, may have multiple responsibilities under this procedure depending on the leasing phase.
Responsibilities
All employees
- report all issues with the condition of asbestos containing materials (ACM), asbestos warning signage and asbestos labels at the facility to the OIC
- report asbestos-related incidents that occur during facility operations or hazards that involve deteriorated materials to the OIC
- not touch or disturb deteriorated material suspected to be ACM
- refer to the relevant asbestos register content for the facility prior to the commencement of any building, construction or maintenance related work on the ACM leased facility
- not carry out works or make-safe activities for assumed and confirmed ACM
- only provide facility access to service providers if the access has been authorised by the OIC
- not engage service providers without the explicit approval of the OIC
- not provide departmental equipment to service providers for their use during works
- ensure asbestos management records are appropriately maintained
Officer in charge of an ACM leased facility
- ensure the asbestos register is made available to relevant parties as required
- ensure a leased facility asbestos management plan is prepared and maintained
- ensure employees receive asbestos training relevant to their role, delegations and any site-specific requirements
- ensure any reported issues with the facility owner's asbestos warning signage or asbestos labels are communicated to the facility owner
- ensure department-compliant asbestos warning signage is installed at an ACM leased facility
- ensure suitable responses for reports of issues with the condition of ACM, asbestos registers and asbestos warning signage
- ensure appropriate responses to departmental asbestos-related incidents at ACM leased facilities
- ensure ACM make-safes are managed in accordance with this procedure
- ensure reasonable steps are taken to manage risks to the facility community arising from works that may disturb asbestos
- ensure suitable service providers are engaged and that they are provided asbestos information before pricing the work
- ensure that service provider access to a work area at an ACM leased facility is controlled
- ensure information regarding changes to ACM at leased facilities is referred to the facility owner
- ensure mechanisms are in place to support the application of asbestos record storage and retention requirements
Departmental person responsible for selecting facilities for leasing
- ensure information relating to the presence of ACM at the facility is sought prior to entering a lease
- ensure that where possible, only facilities free of known asbestos are leased by the department and a record is made of decisions otherwise
- ensure suitable record of asbestos information considerations is reviewed and appropriately endorsed prior to establishing a lease
Departmental person responsible for preparing or negotiating a lease for a facility that contains asbestos
- ensure that a documented lease agreement is established and requests are made to include asbestos-related provisions
Departmental person responsible for executing a lease for a facility that contains asbestos
- consider asbestos information and asbestos-related provisions during the execution of a lease
Departmental person responsible for managing a lease for a facility that contains asbestos
- ensure information about asbestos presence at an ACM leased facility is obtained from the facility owner and communicated to the OIC
- ensure that a departmental asbestos register is developed if not provided by the facility owner
Departmental person responsible for planning work
- ensure works organised by the department are authorised by the facility owner, as required by the lease
- ensure planning of work on ACM leased facilities considers the presence of ACM at the facility
- communicate facility impact information to the OIC for planned works
Departmental person responsible for procuring a service provider
- ensure suitable service providers are engaged for asbestos-related scopes of work
- ensure asbestos information is provided to potential service providers at works planning stage
Departmental person responsible for a service provider contract
- ensure information regarding changes to ACM leased facilities resulting from asbestos work is obtained, assessed and referred to the OIC
Director, Infrastructure Safety
- conduct a quality review of the record of asbestos information considered during leasing decisions
- ensure a site is created in the Built Environment Materials Information Register (BEMIR) for leased facilities
- ensure leased facilities are included in the established asbestos audit program where the department has commissioned an asbestos register for the facility
- ensure departmental asbestos dangerous incidents that occur at ACM leased facilities are notified to the Queensland Work Health and Safety Regulator and investigated where required.
Process
Leasing of facilities that contain asbestos via Queensland Government Accommodation Office
Where a lease is established through the QGAO for a facility that contains asbestos, the person responsible for executing the lease must:
- request a copy of the asbestos register from the QGAO
- develop, in consultation with the QGAO and relevant departmental managers, an asbestos management plan for the facility that details:
- how the asbestos is identified at the facility (for example, reference to the asbestos register)
- how the presence and location of identified asbestos are communicated to occupants and persons who are intending to conduct work at the facility
- decisions, and reasons for the decisions, about the management of asbestos at the workplace (for example, the department's responsibilities for works at the facilities and the prohibition of departmental employees performing work on asbestos)
- processes for the management of incidents and changes to asbestos condition at the facility (for example, how information is reported to the QGAO)
- service provider requirements for building, construction and maintenance related works at the facility (for example, how asbestos information is communicated to service providers, how service providers are selected, and access authorisation requirements).
- establish processes, in consultation with relevant departmental managers, for the implementation of the asbestos management plan
- ensure mechanisms are in place for relevant employees to be trained in the processes
- monitor and review, in consultation with relevant departmental managers, the application of the processes
- ensure the asbestos management plan and associated processes are reviewed, in consultation with relevant departmental managers:
- at least every five years
- when arrangements for managing asbestos at the facility change; or
- when an updated asbestos register is provided by the QGAO.
Note the remainder of this procedure does not apply to facilities leased via the QGAO.
Establishing a lease between the department and private facility owner
Key elements of asbestos management at ACM leased facilities
Selection of suitable facilities for leasing
The departmental person responsible for selecting facilities for leasing must ensure:
- information about the presence of asbestos at the facility is sought from the facility owner prior to a leasing decision being made. The information may include:
- a current asbestos register for the facility
- records showing the date the facility was built (for example, if the building was or could have been built prior to 1 January 1990)
- records of completed asbestos surveys for the facility
- records showing complete removal of asbestos from the facility
- QBuild is engaged to conduct an asbestos survey (with permission from the facility owner) where an asbestos register is not provided by the facility owner
- where an asbestos register has not been provided and the facility owner does not give permission for an asbestos survey to be conducted, leasing is not progressed
- where information indicates that asbestos is not present at the facility to be leased, the records of the information sources are filed with the lease documents
- where information indicates that asbestos is present at the facility to be leased, a record is made using the Tool: Asbestos in leased facilities checklist that is:
- checked by the Director, Infrastructure Safety to confirm that the information in the record has sufficient regard for asbestos presence
- provided to the relevant delegate for consideration during execution of the lease
- maintained with the lease documents
- a lease is prepared or negotiated by the department.
Where a person has concerns regarding the condition of asbestos at the facility, the Regional Infrastructure Safety Advisor, Infrastructure Safety can be contacted to provide advice.
Confirm labelling approach for facility
The departmental person responsible for managing a lease for an ACM leased facility must establish whether asbestos labels are placed at the facility.
If it is established that labels are placed at the facility, the departmental person responsible for managing the lease must determine which of the following label management strategies will be applied:
- Obtain agreement from lessor for QBuild to safely remove all asbestos labels (to minimise risk of misrepresentation of asbestos presence at the facility)
- Obtain agreement for lessor for QBuild to place labels on all assumed or confirmed ACM surfaces
- Adopt a revised warning sign that warns against full reliance on the labels placed at the facility.
Prepare documented lease for the facility
The departmental person responsible for preparing or negotiating a lease for a facility that contains asbestos must ensure that a request has been made to the person providing the document, for the lease to specify:
- provisions addressing the methods for communicating the following, where relevant:
- details of asbestos presence from the facility owner to the department, including:
- the location, type and condition of ACM (i.e. via the facility’s asbestos register)
- changes to the status of ACMs at the facility (i.e. after asbestos monitoring activities, removal works or other events)
- the facility owner’s arrangements for management of ACMs at the facility (i.e. their asbestos management plan)
- asbestos condition details and updates from the department to the facility owner (for example, in the event of an incident resulting in damage to ACM)
- details of works the facility owner plans to undertake at the facility (for example, requirement to notify the department of upcoming works within specified notice periods)
- details of arrangements for negotiating operational disturbance that may be necessary to meet the following departmental conditions for works at the leased facility:
- prohibition of facility community members being present at a facility during asbestos removal works
- clearing areas or rooms of facility community members while works that may disturb asbestos are occurring
- minimum timeframes for updated information to be provided to the department (for example, an updated asbestos register for the ACM leased facility is provided annually)
- the agreement required for the department to execute the selected label approach (where labels have already been placed in the facility)
- whether the department is responsible for or permitted to commission work on the ACM leased facility including:
- building, construction or maintenance works including refurbishment or fit out
- repair of damage or deterioration of ACM
- make-safe of damaged ACM (for example following an asbestos-related incident)
- steps to be taken by the department in these circumstances (for example obtaining permission from the facility owner if required and notifying the facility owner of completed works)
- that a work area access permit (WAAP) is to be obtained by all service providers prior to commencement of works (whether engaged by the department or facility owner).
The departmental person responsible for preparing or negotiating a lease for a facility that contains asbestos must ensure the Tool: Asbestos in leased facilities checklist is:
- used to confirm whether requested information is included in the documented lease
- approved at required levels where requested information is not included in the documented lease
- provided to the OIC prior to occupation of the facility to assist completion of the site-specific management plan.
The Asbestos management procedure must apply to the greatest extent possible where:
- a documented agreement is not able to be established for a facility that contains known or assumed asbestos, or
- where the department owns a building containing assumed or confirmed ACM on land that is not owned by the department (i.e. privately owned).
Execute lease for a facility that contains asbestos
The departmental person responsible for the execution of a lease for a facility that contains asbestos must confirm the Tool: Asbestos in leased facilities checklist has been completed prior to execution of the lease.
Establish a 'site' in the Built Environment Materials Information Register
The departmental person responsible for managing a lease for an ACM leased facility must ensure that facility details are provided to Infrastructure Safety as soon as possible after the lease has been executed.
The Director, Infrastructure Safety must ensure that a request is made to have a 'site' created in BEMIR (and other required departmental systems such as SAP) for leased facilities once facility details have been received.
Obtain and keep leased facility asbestos register updated
The departmental person responsible for managing a lease for an ACM leased facility must ensure:
- a current electronic copy of the asbestos register for the ACM leased facility is obtained from the facility owner when the lease is established; or
- a request is made to Infrastructure Safety, to facilitate an asbestos register being created in BEMIR from results of the asbestos survey conducted by QBuild, where the facility owner did not provide an asbestos register.
The departmental person responsible for managing a lease for an ACM leased facility must ensure the OIC of the ACM leased facility:
- is provided a copy of the asbestos register provided by the facility owner; or
- has access to the relevant BEMIR site for which a departmental asbestos register has been created for the ACM leased facility.
If the facility owner has provided the asbestos register, the departmental person responsible for managing a lease for an ACM leased facility must ensure updated versions of the asbestos register are requested from the facility owner:
- at intervals defined in the lease
- if the departmental person becomes aware that there have been changes to the status of asbestos at the facility (i.e. after asbestos work or asbestos removal conducted during the leased period).
If the department has developed a register for the facility (i.e. commissioned a survey with permission from the owner), the Director, Infrastructure Safety must ensure the facility is included in the established asbestos audit program to monitor the condition of asbestos at the facility at least every 5 years and update the asbestos register accordingly.
Execute selected labelling approach
The OIC of an ACM leased facility must ensure the selected label approach (for a facility with placed labels) is executed prior to any works being conducted on building materials. Refer above Confirm asbestos labelling approach for facility section.
Prepare a leased facility asbestos management plan
The OIC of an ACM leased facility must obtain a copy of the completed Tool: Asbestos in leased facilities checklist from the person responsible for preparing or negotiating the lease to assist in the development of the leased facility asbestos management plan (AMP).
The OIC of an ACM leased facility must ensure:
Make the asbestos register available
The OIC of an ACM leased facility must ensure that:
- the asbestos register, if provided by the facility owner, is stored electronically in the 'facility documents' section of the BEMIR site relevant to the facility
- the asbestos register for the ACM leased facility (either stored or managed in BEMIR) is made available to facility employees, service providers and other visitors (as required)
- Infrastructure Safety is contacted at infrastructure.safety@qed.qld.gov.au to register any ACM leased facility that does not have a BEMIR profile or if assistance in interpreting asbestos register information is required.
Training
The OIC must ensure that employees who have been delegated responsibilities for WAAPs have participated in the Asbestos management training as outlined in the current Mandatory Annual Training - Ready Reckoner.
Manage the presence of in-situ asbestos
Indicate the presence of ACM
Employees must report to the OIC, any issues with the presence and condition of asbestos warning signage or asbestos labels at the facility.
The OIC must ensure the arrangements established in the lease are applied for the reporting of issues with the presence and condition of asbestos warning signage or asbestos labels that were placed by the facility owner.
The OIC must ensure that asbestos warning signage is installed at the facility in accordance with the 'Indicate the presence of ACM' section of the Asbestos management procedure.
Report and respond to deterioration of ACM
An employee at a leased facility who identifies a hazard involving deteriorated building materials suspected to contain asbestos must:
- not touch or disturb the deteriorated material
- report the deterioration immediately to the OIC
- not conduct any make-safe activities on assumed or confirmed ACM.
The OIC must ensure the asbestos register is checked when deteriorated building materials are reported to identify if the materials are listed in the register as assumed or confirmed ACM.
The OIC may seek advice from the facility owner, in accordance with lease arrangements, or from Infrastructure Safety, in interpreting facility owners’ asbestos registers.
If the check identifies that the deteriorated material is assumed or confirmed ACM, the OIC must ensure the area is restricted where relevant. Examples of restriction actions include:
- locking the door to an area
- installing a barricade
- installing signage to warn people of the potential danger.
The OIC must ensure that, in accordance with arrangements identified in the lease:
- the facility owner is informed of the deterioration
- rectification actions are initiated by the responsible party (i.e. the department or facility owner).
If the check identifies that the deteriorated material is not ACM, the OIC must ensure:
- the reporting employee is advised of the result of the check
- rectification actions are initiated as necessary, as per lease arrangements.
The OIC must ensure that any area that has been restricted due to identified deterioration is not reoccupied until confirmation is received from:
- the facility owner, if make-safe actions were arranged by the facility owner, that the area is safe for reoccupation, or
- QBuild, if make-safe actions were arranged by the department, that the area is safe for reoccupation.
Respond to non-departmental asbestos-related incidents
If a suspected asbestos-related incident that does not involve the facility community (non-departmental asbestos-related incident) is identified at an ACM leased facility the OIC must ensure:
- reasonable steps are taken to prevent potential impact to the facility community, including for example:
- restricting access to the area where the incident occurred
- installing signage to warn people of the danger
- a report is made to the facility owner as per lease arrangements.
The OIC must ensure that any area restricted due to a suspected asbestos-related incident is not reoccupied until the make-safe service provider confirms it is safe for reoccupation.
Respond to departmental asbestos-related incidents
Initiate immediate response
If a suspected asbestos-related incident involving the facility community is identified at an ACM leased facility, employees must initiate an immediate response in accordance with the 'Initiate immediate response' section of the Asbestos incident management procedure, but report the incident:
- immediately to the OIC
- to the employee’s supervisor as soon as possible.
The OIC must ensure that any area restricted due to a suspected asbestos-related incident is not reoccupied until the make-safe service provider confirms it is safe for reoccupation.
Secure the scene
If an asbestos related incident at an ACM leased facility is suspected to be an asbestos dangerous incident, refer to the ‘Secure the scene’ section of the Asbestos incident management procedure.
Actions in response to report
Where the departmental asbestos-related incident relates to suspected in-situ ACM, the OIC must ensure the asbestos register is checked to determine whether the incident involves assumed or confirmed ACM (i.e., the status of the disturbed item listed on the asbestos register).
Where the incident relates to the discovery of suspected asbestos containing dust, debris or stored materials, the OIC must ensure:
- the asbestos register is checked to determine whether the incident is likely to involve assumed or confirmed ACM (e.g., debris which is directly associated with a disturbed asbestos register entry), or
- the discovered dust, debris or stored material is treated as assumed asbestos until proven otherwise by sample analysis.
Where the check of the asbestos register determines that the matter does not involve assumed or confirmed ACM, the OIC:
- may reinstate access to the area
- must ensure the reporting party is advised of the result of the check
- must ensure rectification actions are initiated as necessary in accordance with lease arrangements.
Where the check of the asbestos register determines that the incident involves assumed or confirmed asbestos, or the incident involves suspected asbestos containing dust or debris (not attributable to a particular building material) or stored materials, the OIC must ensure:
- the facility owner is notified of damage to ACM as per arrangements established in the lease
- where the lease identifies the department as responsible for incident response, contact QBuild to initiate response actions including:
- make-safe
- sample analysis of assumed ACMs or suspected asbestos containing dust, debris or stored materials
- disposal of discovered materials
- reasonably practicable steps are taken to minimise exposure of an individual whose clothing has come into contact with the dust, for example, by arranging for the individual's clothing to be removed while it is damp and having it placed in a plastic bag and sealed. The OIC may seek advice from the relevant Regional Infrastructure Advisor or Infrastructure Safety Regional Senior Safety Advisor regarding disposal requirements
- details of the incident are communicated to relevant employees as required.
Record departmental asbestos-related incidents at ACM leased facilities
The OIC must ensure departmental asbestos-related incidents that occur at ACM leased facilities are recorded in line with the ‘record asbestos-related incidents’ section of the Asbestos incident management procedure.
The OIC must ensure Infrastructure Safety is contacted at infrastructure.safety@qed.qld.gov.au if an incident management report cannot be recorded because the ACM leased facility does not have a BEMIR profile.
The OIC must ensure Infrastructure Safety is contacted at infrastructure.safety@qed.qld.gov.auif an incident management report cannot be recorded because the ACM leased facility does not have a BEMIR profile.
Manage exposure concerns
Notify parents/carers of student proximity incidents
If a student proximity incident occurs, follow steps outlined in the ‘Notify parents/carers of student proximity incidents’ section of the Asbestos incident management procedure.
Supporting persons with concerns
If there are people with concerns of exposure following a departmental asbestos-related incident at an ACM leased facility, follow steps outlined in the ‘Supporting persons with concerns’ section of the Asbestos incident management procedure.
Management of asbestos-related incident, notifications, investigations, actions and records
The Director, Infrastructure Safety, must ensure that, in accordance with the Asbestos incident management procedure, departmental asbestos-related incidents at ACM leased facilities:
- are assessed and notified, if determined to be notifiable, to the Queensland Work Health and Safety Regulator
- are investigated
- have appropriate corrective and preventative actions implemented
- have records which are reviewed and managed in accordance with the Tool: Asbestos and WAAP records retention schedule.
Manage interaction with the Queensland Work Health and Safety Regulator or external enforcement agencies
Refer to the ‘Manage enforcement notices and interaction with the WHS Regulator or external enforcement agencies’ section of the Asbestos management procedure.
Manage make-safes
Where damage to ACM occurs at a leased facility, the OIC must ensure that make-safe activities are initiated in accordance with the lease.
If the lease identifies that the department is responsible for this work, the OIC must ensure:
- QBuild is engaged to conduct the make-safe
- a record of all completed make-safes is created (for example, a make-safe register) which captures the specific location, date created and ongoing inspection requirements for each make-safe
- make-safe information is communicated to the facility owner in accordance with the lease
- make-safes are monitored, and any deterioration or damage is:
- reported to the facility owner for rectification as per lease arrangements; or
- rectified by QBuild, where the department is responsible for this work under the lease.
Managing works on ACM leased facilities
Key elements of managing works on ACM leased facilities
General
Employees must refer to the relevant asbestos register content for the facility prior to the commencement of any department managed building, construction or maintenance related work on the ACM leased facility.
Employees must:
- only allow service providers access to the leased facility if the access has been authorised by the OIC
- not engage service providers without the explicit approval of the OIC
- not provide departmental equipment to service providers for their use during works.
Plan works
Where works are planned on the ACM leased facility (by the facility owner or the department), the OIC must ensure reasonable steps are taken to prevent the facility community from potential exposure to airborne asbestos during the work. This may include, for example:
- notifying facility community members of impending works and potential impacts
- relocating departmental operations for the duration of the work
- restricting facility community member access to the work area
- considering potential impact on other departmental service providers that may also be carrying out work.
Where building, construction or maintenance works are planned (by the facility owner or the department) at the ACM leased facility, the OIC must ensure that no members of the facility community are present:
- at the facility for the duration of asbestos removal work, unless otherwise approved by the Deputy Director-General, Infrastructure Services Division, in consultation with the Deputy Director-General, School and Regional Operations and Performance (or the Deputy Director-General's representative)
- in the work area while works on assumed or confirmed ACM (including sampling) are being carried out.
The departmental person responsible for planning works on ACM leased facilities must ensure that any work organised by the department has been authorised by the facility owner in accordance with the lease.
Procure works
The departmental person responsible for procuring service providers for work on an ACM leased facility must ensure:
- suitable service providers are engaged to conduct asbestos related or asbestos removal work in accordance with the 'procure works' section of the Asbestos management procedure
- potential service providers are given a copy of the following documents before pricing the work:
Pre-works
The departmental person responsible for planning works must communicate to the OIC of an ACM leased facility any relevant facility community impact information associated with the works.
The OIC must ensure any facility community impact information is communicated to potentially affected parties including:
- employees
- out of school hours care providers
- community organisations using the facility
- Parents and Citizens’ association members.
The OIC must ensure that access to the ACM facility by a service provider (either engaged by the department or the facility owner) or employee (for the purpose of conducting building-related work on the facility) is controlled through the creation and issue of a Work area access permit (WAAP) in accordance with the requirements of the Work area access permit procedure.
The OIC must ensure that a copy of the asbestos register for the ACM leased facility is given to the service provider or employee at the time the WAAP is issued (noting that facility owner provided asbestos registers are not automatically attached and must be obtained from the 'facility documents' section of BEMIR).
The OIC must ensure Infrastructure Safety is contacted at infrastructure.safety@qed.qld.gov.au if a WAAP cannot be created because the ACM leased facility does not have a BEMIR profile.
During works
Employees must not carry out works on assumed or confirmed ACM.
The OIC must communicate to potentially affected parties any changes to school community impact information that arises during the works.
Employees must report asbestos-related incidents that occur during works to the OIC.
Post works
The departmental person responsible for the service provider contract must ensure that the service provider for the works has submitted a completed Template: Facilities change document, and supporting certificates, for works that have involved:
- asbestos removal (for example, clearance certificates)
- asbestos sampling
- unexpected disturbance of assumed or confirmed ACM that was not required to be referred for
incident response, i.e., it did not affect or potentially affect the safety of the facility community
- changes that affect the original floor plan of an area, for example, removal of a wall between two rooms
- the discovery of asbestos in soils.
The departmental person responsible for the service provider contract must ensure certificates obtained from service providers, verifying that soil imported to the facility was ‘clean’, are recorded and retained in BEMIR.
The departmental person responsible for the service provider contract must ensure the abovementioned information is provided to the QBuild BEMIR team (if the facility has a departmental asbestos register) and the OIC upon completion of the works.
The OIC must ensure that information received is provided to the facility owner, as per lease arrangements, to allow for the facility owner's asbestos register to be updated.
Records management
Retain asbestos management records
Employees must retain asbestos management records in line with the Tool: Asbestos and WAAP records retention schedule.
The OIC must ensure local systems and processes are established to support employees applying correct record retention requirements for asbestos management records (for the requirements outlined in the Tool: Asbestos and WAAP records and retention schedule).
Definitions
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Term
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Definition
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ACM leased facility
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A leased facility identified to contain ACM.
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Asbestos containing
material
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For the purposes of this procedure, any material or thing that, as part of its design, contains asbestos and is or has been used as a building material.
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Asbestos dangerous incident
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Refer Asbestos incident management procedure.
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Asbestos-related
incident
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Refer Asbestos incident management procedure.
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Asbestos Management
Plan
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A written plan, required under the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Qld), that outlines how asbestos will be managed for the place to which it applies.
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Asbestos register
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A reference point for persons to understand whether materials in a building contain asbestos.
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Asbestos work
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Means:
- asbestos-related work (as defined under the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Qld)); or
- asbestos removal work (regardless of the quantity).
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Built Environment Materials Information Register (BEMIR)
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An electronic environmental management system designed and managed by Department of Housing and Public Works to assist government agencies with the management of environmentally significant matters within Government controlled buildings.
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Class 5 incident
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Refer Asbestos incident management procedure.
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Departmental person responsible for managing a lease for an ACM leased facility
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The departmental representative with carriage of responsibility for ongoing activities related to the lease post execution.
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Departmental person responsible for execution of a lease
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The departmental representative with Delegation of Minister's Powers under the Constitution of Queensland 2001, for Real Property.
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Departmental person responsible for
planning work
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The departmental representative with carriage of responsibility for the planning of project or maintenance work at a leased facility. This person may be a central office employee, an OIC or a regional Infrastructure Services Division employee, depending on the service delivery model applicable to the work.
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Deterioration
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Erosion of the condition or function of a building material. Deterioration on its own (i.e., without disturbance caused by plant or people) is a hazard not an 'incident'.
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Employee
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For the purposes of this procedure, an employee is a person who carries out the person’s day to day work activities under the direction of the department and includes a public servant, a contractor engaged as a contingent worker, a person engaged through a labour hire firm, a work experience student or a volunteer. An ‘employee’ does not include a service provider whose day-to-day work is not governed by the direction and control of the department.
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Facility community
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The persons who are generally present at a facility. For example, at a school the facility community would include teaching staff, administration staff, students and visiting parents and carers.
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In-situ asbestos
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Asbestos containing materials that remain in the original location of the structure in which they were used, for example, asbestos cement sheeting used for lining internal walls.
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Lease
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A legally binding contract between a property owner (lessor) and a tenant (lessee) granting exclusive possession of a premises for a set period in exchange for rent. It outlines rights and responsibilities and can be residential or commercial, covering fixed or periodic timeframes.
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Leased facility
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An asset that contains land, plant or buildings that is:
- owned by a legal entity other than the Department;
- leased by the department through a documented agreement.
This could include, for example,
- buildings used to provide additional or temporary classroom spaces;
- office buildings
- housing
- parcels of land used for agricultural or outdoor education activities.
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Maintenance
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Works that are directed to preserving (not improving) a facility, material or equipment.
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Make-safe
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Action taken to respond to identified deteriorated or damaged assumed or confirmed ACM that ensures:
- any exposed parts of the damaged or deteriorated ACM are sealed to prevent the release of fibres
- the area of the damaged or deteriorated ACM is enclosed so that it cannot be accessed.
It is not intended to cover maintenance (planned or unplanned) that is conducted to ensure assumed or confirmed ACM remains in a safe state, for example, reapplication of paint on ACM walls.
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Officer in charge
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The accountable person for a facility, as follows:
- for a state school:
- i. the principal
- ii. in the case of a principal’s temporary absence - the person who is established under the Education (General Provisions) Regulation 2017 (Qld) as assuming the functions and responsibilities of the principal during the principal’s absence.
- Note: it is intended that a principal would continue to be the accountable person for any short absence from the site provided the absence is not being managed under a record of appointment for the absence (for example, where the principal is away from the school and there is no need to formally appoint another person to the principal’s role for the absence).
- for an institution that provides educational instruction to persons enrolled at State schools (such as environmental education centres and outdoor education centres) or any other facility - the person with day-to-day management responsibilities for the institution or facility.
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Facility community
impact information
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Information relating to works conducted at a facility including:
- areas affected by the work
- likely duration of the works
- precautions to be taken by the facility community during the works
- escalation arrangements for managing concerns during the works.
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Service provider
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Refer Work area access permit procedure.
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Stored materials
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ACM materials that are being stored, for example, ACM wall sheets stored in the back of a storage shed.
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Student proximity incident
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Refer Asbestos incident management procedure.
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Suspected asbestos-related incident
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An event suspected to involve asbestos but for which the asbestos register has not yet been checked to determine the likelihood that asbestos is involved.
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Legislation
Delegations/Authorisations
Other resources
Superseded versions
Previous seven years shown. Minor version updates not included.
Nil