All asbestos waste must be removed from the workplace by a competent person and transported and disposed of in accordance with Victoria's Occupational Health and Safety Regulations and Environment Protection Authority Victoria Regulations .
Packaging
How to package asbestos cement sheetings and pipes
Note: Packages should small enough to be handled easily.
- Thoroughly wet the articles and keep them wet until they are packaged for transport.
- Minimise cutting or breaking of the articles to be packed.
- Place two layers of polythene sheeting - approximately 200 1¼m (0.2 mm) thick - in the cargo-carrying compartment of the vehicle.
- Place articles carefully on polythene sheeting to a height of less than 1 m.
- Completely wrap the articles.
- Seal with adhesive tape.
- Label the package with the asbestos warning mark.
How to package lagged pipes, boilers, heaters and equipment
- Double-wrap the entire article with polythene sheets, approximately 200 1¼m (0.2 mm) thick.
- Seal with adhesive tape.
- Label the package with the asbestos warning mark.
How to package asbestos dust and friable asbestos
- Discharge dust into drums (this should be carried out in wet condition, except where wetting down is not practicable).
- Fix the drum lid securely using a suitable device (eg, toggle clips, screws, or bolt).
- Label each drum with a dangerous goods label.
- Label each drum with asbestos warning marks - at least three times on one side of each drum.
OR
- Discharge dust directly into double polythene bags approximately 200 1¼m (0.2 mm) thick. Use bags that are a maximum size of 1200 mm (length) x 900 mm (width). the loaded weight should not exceed 30 kg. Bags should be filled to not more than 50 per cent capacity.
- Wet the bagged dust.
- Tie each bag.
- Label each bag with a dangerous goods label.
- Label each bag with asbestos warning marks - at least three times on one side of each bag.
How to package slurry containing asbestos fibre and dust
- Remove fibres through chemical coagulation followed by filtration.
- Place residue into drums, as above.
- Label each drum with a dangerous goods label.
- Label each drum with asbestos warning marks - at least three on one side of each drum.
Transport
Victoria's EPA controls the transportation of asbestos from industrial activities. The transportation of domestic sourced asbestos, unless it is removed by a commercial asbestos removalist, does not fall within EPA's statutory responsibilities.
Owners of vehicles that transport industrial or commercially sourced waste asbestos must hold an EPA waste transport permit. The permit stipulates the necessary controls for the safe handling, transport and disposal of waste asbestos. Packaging material must be protected and remain intact during transport and unloading. Any packaging that is damaged must be replaced or repaired prior to disposal. Vehicles should be carefully cleaned after transporting waste asbestos.
The waste producer must use EPA's Waste Tracker in order to arrange legal transport and disposal of asbestos waste. The waste transporter and the waste receiver must complete the appropriate sections of waste records accordance with the Environment Protection Regulations 2021. For further information on Waste Tracker for producers visit EPA's website(opens in a new window).
Disposal
Asbestos waste must be disposed of as soon as is reasonably possible. Generally, this means at the end of the removal job or when the waste containers are full. It must also be disposed of at the end of each day if waste on the removal site cannot be secured; it is only considered secure when untrained/unprotected people cannot come into contact with the waste.
Asbestos waste must be disposed of at premises authorised to receive asbestos waste and disposal must be carried out in a manner that eliminates the release of airborne asbestos fibres, which means ensuring:
- asbestos waste is securely packaged in containers
- waste containers are secure during transport
- the method of unloading the waste is safe.
You should contact the disposal site operator to check whether the site is appropriately permissioned to receive the waste. Conditions require waste asbestos to be handled and covered in such a manner which prevents the release of airborne asbestos fibres.
Also, waste disposal sites have specific requirements for packaging asbestos waste. You will need to meet those requirements to make sure your asbestos waste will be accepted.
Find your nearest disposal site that is authorised to accept Asbestos.(opens in a new window)
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