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Toolbox Talks
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Asbestos Awareness

For anyone who could disturb asbestos without knowing it: where it hides, why it matters, and what to do before you drill, cut or break.

  • SeriesToolbox Talks
  • AudienceWorkers in buildings, maintenance, trades and construction
  • Duration20–30 minutes
  • CodeHAZ-ASB
  • Version1.0 · 877 KB ZIP

About this package

Asbestos was used in Australian buildings, plant and vehicles for decades and was banned on 31 December 2003, so most older workplaces still contain it. It is safe left alone and in good condition. The harm comes when it is disturbed and fibres are breathed in, often by a worker who did not know it was there.

This talk teaches workers where asbestos is likely to be, how the asbestos register works, and the rule that matters most: if you suspect it, stop, keep people away and report it. It is awareness for workers who might come across asbestos, not training to remove it.

Learning outcomes

After the session, participants will be able to:

  • Explain why asbestos is a hazard and how breathing in fibres can cause asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma, often decades later
  • Recognise where asbestos-containing material is likely to be found in buildings, plant and vehicles built before 2004
  • Tell the difference between bonded (non-friable) and friable asbestos, and why damaged material is the greater risk
  • Use the workplace asbestos register before starting work that could disturb a building's fabric
  • Describe the duties of the business and of workers under WHS or OHS laws for asbestos
  • Explain that asbestos removal is done only by licensed removalists, or within strict limits set by the law
  • Respond to suspected asbestos: stop, keep others away, do not clean it up, and report it

Training outline

MODULE 1

What asbestos is

  • Why it was used, and the 2003 ban
  • How fibres cause disease, and the long latency
  • Bonded and friable asbestos
MODULE 2

Where it is found

  • Common locations: sheeting, eaves, flooring, pipe lagging, gaskets, brake parts
  • The asbestos register and asbestos management plan
  • Work that can disturb it: drilling, cutting, sanding, demolition, water blasting
MODULE 3

Duties and controls

  • What the business must do, and what workers must do
  • Licensed removal, and why you never remove it yourself
  • Prohibited tools and methods, such as high-pressure water and compressed air
MODULE 4

If you suspect asbestos

  • Stop work and keep people away
  • Do not sweep, vacuum or move it
  • Report it and wait for it to be assessed

What is in the package

Training

  • Editable PowerPoint presentation with speaker notes, plus PDF
  • Facilitator guide with a running sheet, discussion prompts and model answers
  • Participant handout with the key points to take away

Records and assessment

  • Attendance record form, to capture who attended, when, and who facilitated
  • Excel attendance register
  • Multiple-choice theory assessment, to record understanding if your business wants to
  • Answer key for the assessment
  • Certificate template

Start here

  • Read Me First guide
  • Product overview
  • Permitted use terms
  • Version information

Practical activities

  • Spot the asbestos: photos of an older workshop, a house renovation and a plant room (or your own photos). Workers identify likely asbestos-containing materials and what they would do before starting work
  • Read the register: workers find the entry for an area they work in and say what it allows and what it does not

Delivery requirements

  • A facilitator such as a supervisor, leading hand or WHS adviser who has read the facilitator guide and knows your site's arrangements for the topic
  • A screen or projector, or printed slides or handouts: it works in a crib room, site office or on a video call
  • Your own site procedures for the topic, to point to during the session

File formats

  • PowerPoint (.pptx), editable, with speaker notes
  • Word (.docx), editable
  • Excel (.xlsx) attendance register
  • PDF copies of the slides, guide, handout and forms
  • Delivered as a single ZIP download

Questions about this package

Does this qualify anyone to remove asbestos?

No. It is awareness for workers who might come across asbestos. Removal is done by licensed asbestos removalists or within the strict limits in your WHS or OHS laws, with training and equipment this package does not provide.

Can we add our own site procedures and photos?

Yes. The slides, handout and guide are editable, and the facilitator guide marks the places to add your own procedures, contacts and photos of your workplace.

Do we have to use the assessment?

No. It is there if your business wants a record that each worker understood the key points. The attendance record on its own shows who attended and when.

Can we edit the documents?

Yes. Presentations, guides, workbooks and templates are supplied in editable formats so you can adapt them to your workplace. The copyright notice must stay.

Can we use the packages outside Australia?

Yes. The hazards and the controls in each toolbox talk apply in any workplace. The duties slide and the facilitator guide's "check before you deliver" table refer to Australian WHS and OHS laws, licences and standards, so a business elsewhere should swap those for its own country's rules. Everything is editable.

Do participants get a certificate?

Yes. The package includes an editable certificate template, an attendance record (Word, plus an Excel register) and an optional 10-question multiple-choice assessment with an answer key, so you can record who attended and, if you choose, that each worker understood the key points. It is a certificate of completion issued by your business, not a nationally recognised qualification.

Can we deliver it face to face and online?

Yes. The packages are designed for face-to-face sessions and work over a video meeting platform. The facilitator guide notes where an activity needs adjusting for online delivery.

Can we run it more than once?

Yes, as many times as you like, for your own organisation's workers.

What is your refund policy?

Your rights under the Australian Consumer Law are not affected. See the Refund Policy for how we handle a package that is faulty, not as described, or not what you ordered.

Do we get future updates?

You keep the version you bought for as long as you use it, and corrections to that version are made available to you. A new edition, for example following a significant change in the law, may be sold separately.

More answers on the home page, or contact us.

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