
GLOSSARY
Accredited Laboratory means a testing
laboratory accredited by the
National Association of Testing Authorities, Australia (NATA) or a similar
accreditation authority, or otherwise granted recognition by NATA, either
solely or in conjunction with one or more other persons.
Air Monitoring means airborne asbestos fibre sampling to assist
in assessing exposures and the effectiveness of
control measures. Air monitoring includes exposure monitoring, control
monitoring and clearance monitoring.
Note: Air monitoring should be undertaken in accordance with the Guidance
Note on the Membrane Filter Method
for Estimating Airborne Asbestos Fibres [NOHSC:3003 (2005)]
Airborne Asbestos Fibres means any fibres of asbestos small
enough to be made airborne. For the purposes of monitoring airborne asbestos
fibres, only respirable asbestos fibres (those fibres less than 3 mm wide, more
than
5 mm long and with a length to width ratio of more than 3 to 1) are counted.
Note: Airborne asbestos fibres are generated by the mechanical
disintegration of Asbestos-Containing Materials (ACM) and subsequent dispersion
of the fibres into the air from activities such as mining and the use, removal
and disposal of asbestos and ACM. Airborne
dust has the potential to contain respirable asbestos fibres.
ALARP means As Low As Reasonably Practicable. The exposure of
workers and others to asbestos must be eliminated or otherwise kept as low as
reasonably practicable, and in all circumstances must be kept below the NES.
Asbestos means the fibrous form of mineral silicates
belonging to the serpentine and amphibole groups of rock-forming minerals,
including actinolite,amosite (brown asbestos), anthophyllite, chrysotile (white asbestos),
crocidolite (blue asbestos), tremolite, or any mixture containing one or more of
the mineral silicates belonging to the serpentine and amphibole groups.
Asbestos Cement (AC) means products consisting of sand
aggregate and cement reinforced with asbestos fibres (e.g. asbestos cement pipes
and flat or corrugated asbestos cement sheets).
Asbestos-Containing Material (ACM) means any material, object,
product or debris that
contains asbestos.
Note: Information for determining if a material contains asbestos is
provided in Part 9.
Asbestos Removalist means a competent person who performs
asbestos removal work.
Note: An asbestos removal licence is required in all State and Territory
jurisdictions for the removal of friable ACM. Some States and Territories also
require a licence for removal of specified quantities of ACM, regardless of
whether they are friable, and relevant OHS authorities should be consulted prior
to any removal work.
Asbestos Vacuum Cleaner means a vacuum cleaner that is fitted
with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) Filter and complies with
Australian Standard 3544-1988 Industrial Vacuum Cleaners for Particulates
Hazardous to Health. A domestic vacuum cleaner is not suitable for use with
asbestos.
Asbestos Waste means all removed ACM and disposable items used
during the asbestos work, such as plastic sheeting used to cover surfaces in the
asbestos work area, disposable coveralls, disposable respirators, rags used for
cleaning.
Asbestos Work Area means the immediate area in which work on
ACM is taking place. The boundaries of the asbestos work area must be determined
by a risk assessment.
Note: The asbestos work area should include the boundaries of an enclosure
or barriers set up to warn or restrict access to the area where the asbestos
work is being undertaken.
Breathing Zone means a hemisphere extending in front of a
person’s face, with a radius of 300 mm from the midpoint of an imaginary line
between the ears.
Clearance Inspection means an inspection, carried out by a
competent person, to verify that an asbestos work area is safe to be returned to
normal use after work involving the disturbance of ACM has taken place. A
clearance inspection must include a visual inspection, and
may also include clearance monitoring and/or settled dust sampling.
Note: A clearance inspection should only be carried out when the asbestos
work area is dry.
Clearance Monitoring means air monitoring using static or
positional samples to measure the level of airborne asbestos fibres in an area
following work on ACM. An area is ‘cleared’ when the level of airborne asbestos
fibres is measured as being below 0.01 fibres/mL.
Note: Static or positional samples are taken at fixed locations which are
usually between one and two metres above floor level,
Competent Person means a person possessing adequate
qualifications, such as suitable training and sufficient knowledge, experience
and skill, for the safe performance of the specific work.
Note: A licence may be required for some of the tasks described in this
document as requiring a competent person.
Control Level means the airborne concentration of a particular
substance which, if exceeded, indicates a need to implement a control, action or
other requirement. Control levels are generally set at no more than half the NES
for the substance. Control levels are occupational hygiene ‘best practice’, and
are not health-based standards.
Note: The first Control Level for Asbestos is set at 0.01 fibres/mL
of air.
Control Monitoring means air monitoring, using static or
positional to measure the level of airborne asbestos fibres in an area during
work on ACM. Control monitoring is designed to assist in assessing the
effectiveness of control measures. Its results are not representative
of actual occupational exposures, and should not be used for that purpose.
Note: Static or positional samples are taken at fixed locations which are
usually between one and two metres above floor level,
Dust and Debris means visible particles, fragments or chunks of
material, large and heavy enough to have settled in the work area, that are
likely to have originated from
ACM.
Exposure Monitoring means air monitoring to determine a
person’s likely exposure to a hazardous substance. Exposure monitoring is
designed to reliably estimate the person’s exposure, so that it may be compared
with the NES.
Note: Exposure monitoring includes airborne asbestos fibre
sampling, analysis, estimation of time-weighted average exposure and
interpretation. Samples are taken within the breathing zone and are usually
obtained by fastening the filter holder to the worker’s jacket lapel.
Friable (Asbestos) means asbestos-containing material which,
when dry, is or may become crumbled, pulverised or reduced to powder by hand
pressure.
Note: This may include ACM that have been subjected to conditions that leave
them in a state where they meet the above definition, such as weathering,
physical damage, water damage etc.
Hazard means any matter, thing, process or practice that may
cause death, injury, illness or disease.
Health Surveillance means the monitoring of a person to
identify any changes in their health as a result of exposure to a hazardous
substance. It does not include exposure monitoring.
High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) Filter means a
disposable, extended media, dry type filter, in a rigid frame, with a minimum
filtration efficiency of 99.97% for nominal 0.3 mm diameter thermally generated
dioctylphthalata (DOP) particles or an equivalent efficiency for a specified
alternative aerosol and with an initial maximum resistance to airflow of 250 pa
when tested at its rated airflow capacity (see Australian Standard 4260-1997
High Efficiency Particulate (HEPA) Filters – Classification, Construction and
Performance).
In situ means fixed or installed in its original position, not
having been moved.
Inaccessible Areas means areas which are difficult to access,
such as wall cavities and the interiors of plant and equipment.
Membrane Filter Method (MFM) means the technique outlined in
the NOHSC Guidance Note on the Membrane Filter Method for Estimating
Airborne Asbestos Fibres [NOHSC:3003 (2005)]
National Exposure Standard (NES) means an airborne
concentration of a particular substance, within the worker’s breathing zone,
which according to current knowledge, should not cause adverse health effects or
undue discomfort to nearly all workers. NES are established, from time
to time, by the National Occupational Health and Safety Commission (NOHSC) and
are published on
the NOHSC website (see Appendix J).
Note: The NES for all forms of asbestos is 0.1 fibres/mL of air, measured
using the Membrane Filter Method (MFM).
Person with Control means, in relation to premises, a person
who has control of premises used as a workplace. The person with control may be:
(a) the owner of the premises;
(b) a person who has, under any contract or lease, an obligation to maintain or
repair the premises;
(c) a person who is occupying the premises;
(d) a person who is able to make decisions about work undertaken at the
premises; or
(e) an employer at the premises.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) means equipment and clothing that
is used or worn
by an individual person to protect themselves against, or minimise their
exposure to, workplace risks. It includes items such as facemasks and
respirators, coveralls, goggles, helmets, gloves and footwear (see
Appendix C).
Respirable Asbestos Fibre means a fibre of asbestos small
enough to penetrate into the gas exchange regions of the lungs. Respirable
asbestos fibres are technically
defined as fibres that are less than 3 mm wide, more than 5 mm in length and
have a length to width ratio
of more than 3 to 1.
Risk means the likelihood of a hazard causing harm to a person.
Note: In this code of practice, Risk relates to illness or disease arising
from exposure to Airborne Asbestos Fibres.
Settled Dust Sampling means the sampling and analysis of
settled surface dust to provide an indication of cleanliness following
disturbance of ACM. Settled dust sampling does not provide an indication of risk
to health. Sampling techniques include the use of adhesive tape, wipe or
micro-vacuum (using an air sampling pump and filter). Analysis can be by
polarised light microscopy (PLM) or transmission electron microscopy (TEM).
Note: Contamination may occur as a result of deterioration of, or work
processes involving ACM.
Shadow Vacuuming means the operation of an asbestos vacuum
cleaner that is either directly attached to a tool or hand-held by a second
worker as close as possible to the source of released asbestos fibres throughout
the use of the tool.
Structure means any construction, whether temporary or
permanent.
Note: A structure includes a bridge, erection, edifice, wall, chimney,
fence, earth, works, reclamation, ship, floating structure or tunnel.
Work means any activity, physical or mental, carried out in the
course of a business, industry, commerce, an occupation or a profession.
Worker means a person who does work, whether or not for reward or
recognition.
Note: ‘Workers’ include persons working under contracts of employment,
apprenticeships, traineeships and other contracts of service, but they also
include other persons subject to direction by persons with control, such
volunteers and work experience students.
Workplace means any place where a person works.