Global Asbestos Audits’ Adelaide team services commercial property owners, landlords, property managers, and developers throughout Greater Adelaide and across South Australia. Whether your premises are in the CBD, the inner suburbs, Adelaide’s beachside suburbs such as Glenelg, the winery or in regional areas of South Australia, our network of qualified consultants, inspectors, and assessors is ready to help you identify, manage, and document asbestos risk at your property.
About Global Asbestos Audits Adelaide
Adelaide is one of Australia’s oldest and most commercially diverse cities, and it has a long industrial and manufacturing history. That history also means Adelaide has a significant proportion of older commercial buildings, many of them constructed during the decades when asbestos was in widespread use across the construction and manufacturing industries. Global Asbestos Audits works with Adelaide-based property owners and managers to assess, document, and manage asbestos risk in accordance with the legislative requirements that apply in South Australia.
Initial enquiries are always welcome by phone or email. We are happy to discuss your situation and provide guidance before any site visit is required. Because every property is unique, however, our consultants typically conduct an on-site consultation to properly scope your premises, gain a thorough understanding of the building’s history, and tailor their recommendations accordingly.
Australia’s nationwide ban on the importation, manufacture, and use of asbestos was phased in from the 1980s and took full effect on 31 December 2003. Prior to that date, asbestos was used extensively across the construction and manufacturing industries in products including plasterboard, fibro cement sheeting, insulation, roofing and guttering materials, floor tiles, pipe lagging, electrical boards, and fire-retardant linings. Given Adelaide’s volume of commercial buildings constructed before 2003, and the city’s deep ties to manufacturing and industry throughout the twentieth century, asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) remain a significant legacy concern across a large proportion of South Australia’s existing commercial building stock.
Our Adelaide team regularly attends sites prior to demolition or major renovation to assess asbestos risk and confirm the presence or absence of ACMs. From there, we coordinate testing, remediation, and removal, and once ACMs have been cleared, we issue the necessary clearance certificates. Throughout the entire process, everything is thoroughly documented through our asbestos reports and asbestos registers in accordance with South Australian legal requirements.
We are also seeing an increasing incidence of asbestos contamination arising from contaminated fill material and from imported products originating in countries where asbestos regulation is less stringent. Global Asbestos Audits can help you identify and quantify your exposure risk. With the health consequences of asbestos exposure now well understood, a ‘wait and see’ approach is no longer viable. Left unmanaged, asbestos risk can expose workers and tenants to serious health hazards while creating significant legal liability for property owners and landlords.
Services Provided Through Our Adelaide Team
Global Asbestos Audits provides a comprehensive range of services to help commercial property owners, landlords, and property managers in Adelaide and across South Australia meet their legal obligations. Services available through our Adelaide team include:
- Division 5 asbestos audits (visual inspection)
- Division 6 asbestos audits (more intrusive inspection)
- Asbestos inspections and asbestos testing
- Asbestos reports
- Compilation of asbestos registers
- Asbestos management plans
- Asbestos air testing and clearance certificates
- Pre-demolition asbestos assessments and ACM identification
- Remediation and removal coordination
- Ongoing asbestos management
- Silica air testing, monitoring, and management
Our team draws on years of practical experience and a thorough understanding of the legal requirements in each Australian state and territory to provide recommendations on how best to manage any asbestos exposure identified at your property.
Legislative Considerations for Asbestos Management in South Australia
Property owners, managers, and businesses operating in Adelaide must navigate a layered regulatory framework governing the identification, management, and removal of asbestos-containing materials (ACMs). Understanding these obligations is essential not only for legal compliance but for the protection of workers, occupants, and the broader community.
The Primary Legislative Framework
SafeWork SA is responsible for the administration of the Work Health and Safety Act 2012 (SA) (WHS Act) and the Work Health and Safety Regulations 2012 (SA) (WHS Regulations), which specifically relate to workplaces. A workplace is defined under the WHS Act as any place where work is carried out for a business or undertaking, including residential premises, while work is being performed there by a person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU). Source SA Government
Under Sections 19–27 of the WHS Act (SA), PCBUs must provide and maintain a safe working environment, identify and manage hazards including asbestos, consult workers and contractors about safety risks, provide relevant training and information, and monitor the health and safety of workers where exposure is possible.
Chapter 8 of the WHS Regulations sets out the specific, detailed requirements for asbestos management in South Australian workplaces. These include obligations relating to asbestos identification, the preparation and maintenance of asbestos registers and asbestos management plans, licensing requirements for removal work, and air monitoring protocols.
Asbestos Registers and Management Plans
An asbestos register is required for workplaces where the building was constructed prior to 31 December 2003, unless no asbestos has been identified at the workplace. The register must record the location, type, and condition of all identified or assumed ACMs, along with dates of identification and any changes to the condition of those materials. Source WorkSafe WA
A competent person must be engaged to identify asbestos in the workplace: defined as someone who has acquired, through training, qualification, or experience, the knowledge and skills required to accurately identify asbestos or ACM. The register must be readily available to all workers and contractors who intend to carry out work at the premises. Source: SA Government
Where asbestos or ACM has been identified or is assumed to be present, a written Asbestos Management Plan (AMP) must also be prepared. The AMP must be reviewed and, where necessary, revised at least once every five years, or sooner if asbestos is removed or disturbed, if a control measure is reviewed, or if the plan is no longer adequate for managing risks at the workplace.
Licensing Requirements for Removal Work
A licence is required to remove more than 10 m² of non-friable ACM. Class A licence holders may remove all types of ACMs, including friable asbestos materials, while Class B licence holders are authorised to remove any quantity of non-friable asbestos. Source SafeWork SA Engaging an unlicensed contractor for work that requires a licence constitutes a breach of the WHS Regulations and can expose the commissioning PCBU to significant regulatory liability.
Environmental and Disposal Obligations
The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) administers the Environment Protection Act 1993 and is responsible for regulating the transportation and end disposal of asbestos waste. Asbestos waste must be taken to a licensed transfer station or waste depot, and an EPA licence is required for the commercial transport of both friable and non-friable asbestos.
Penalties for illegal dumping are substantial. For individuals, fines can reach $500,000 or four years’ imprisonment; for a corporate body, the penalty can reach $2 million.
Property Transactions
The Statutes Amendment (Real Estate Industry Reform) Act 2007 requires real estate agents to provide a buyer’s information notice to all prospective purchasers, prompting consideration of whether property features, including the presence of asbestos, may adversely affect the value, enjoyment, or safety of the land. Additionally, under the Land and Business (Sale and Conveyancing) Regulations 2010, any asbestos register held for a workplace must be transferred to the incoming party upon a change of management or ownership.
Penalties for Non-Compliance
Penalties under the WHS Regulations are substantial and can include prosecution under the Act, fines up to $3 million, or imprisonment for reckless exposure incidents. SafeWork SA inspectors are empowered to issue Improvement Notices for failure to comply with duties, Prohibition Notices to halt unsafe work immediately, and to refer serious breaches for prosecution.
Recent Legislative Developments
The Work Health and Safety (Review Recommendations) Amendment Act 2024 amended the WHS Act 2012, with key changes commencing 1 September 2024. These include the formal establishment of the SafeWork SA Advisory Committee and the introduction of a conciliation, mediation, and arbitration model for resolving work health and safety disputes through the South Australian Employment Tribunal.
Given the complexity and evolving nature of asbestos legislation in South Australia, engaging a qualified asbestos consultant to assess your obligations under the WHS Act and Regulations is strongly recommended. Global Asbestos Audits provides comprehensive asbestos auditing, register preparation, and asbestos management plan services across Adelaide and South Australia, ensuring your property and business remain fully compliant.
What Is the First Step If You Suspect Your Property Contains Asbestos?
Stop! Don’t disturb it!
If you suspect asbestos-containing materials may be present at your property, the single most important thing you can do is leave those materials undisturbed. Drilling, cutting, sanding, or otherwise damaging ACMs can release asbestos fibres into the air, creating an immediate and serious health hazard for anyone in the vicinity.
Once you have made the area safe, give us a call or email us with a brief description of your situation, and we can work out the rest from there. Sending through some photos is also very helpful and allows us to provide a more accurate initial assessment before attending the site.
📞 Phone: 1800 635 977
✉ Email: [email protected]
We Have Locations, Consultants, Assessors, and Contractors Right Across Australia
While our national coordination is managed from Brisbane, Global Asbestos Audits operates throughout Australia. Our network of qualified consultants, inspectors, assessors, and contractors is active in capital cities, including Adelaide, Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, and Perth, as well as in older manufacturing precincts and regional areas right across the country.
No matter where your property is located, we can connect you with the right expertise. Our national reach means you receive consistent, high-quality service and advice aligned with the specific legislative requirements of your state or territory.
Contact our Adelaide team today to discuss your requirements, and we will make sure the right people are on the case.