Improving education and training for those at risk of exposure to asbestos fibres.
The consultation period closed on 17 December 2021.
A total of 20 submissions were received during consultation. Thank you to everyone who participated in this consultation.
The Asbestos Safety and Eradication Council agreed to the proposed steps recommended in the final report and requested that Safe Work Australia progress the preferred option of mandatory asbestos awareness training for specified trades as this would require amendment to the model work health and safety laws.
We published the final version of the Outcomes of Asbestos Awareness Training Consultation Report in March 2022.
What’s this consultation about?
This consultation process is about asbestos safety training for workers entering trades where they are likely to encounter asbestos. We published a discussion paper in response to ongoing concerns raised by stakeholders about whether current training arrangements adequately protect these workers.
The discussion paper covers:
- current WHS legal requirements for training relevant to asbestos safety in all Australian jurisdictions
- a description of the main training options available to PCBUs, including a general explanation of the national vocational education and training system (VET) and its regulatory framework
- recent efforts to introduce more nationally recognised asbestos safety awareness training in the context of current Vocational Education and Training system reforms
- options to enhance current asbestos safety awareness training, particularly for new workers acquiring their qualifications.
The public consultation period was open for submissions from Monday 25 October - Friday 17 December, 2021.
The report following consultation is now available. It covers:
- a consultation summary
- what emerged from the consultation - 5 key themes
- preferred reform options
- next steps
Submissions
A total of 20 submissions were received during consultation. 2 of these asked to be kept anonymous, and one was provided confidentially (not published).
The following have made their submissions available.