Managing asbestos in schools

School responsibilities

School boards and principals are considered a 'person conducting a business or undertaking’ (PCBU) responsible for the day to day management of asbestos in their schools. The Health and Safety at Work (Asbestos) Regulations 2016 require schools to identify all asbestos and manage risks to remove or minimise exposure.

Health and Safety at Work (Asbestos) Regulations 2016 – New Zealand Legislation open_in_new

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School buildings that were constructed before January 2000 are likely to have asbestos in them.

Asbestos management requirements

School boards and principals should follow these asbestos management steps on a continual basis.

1

Identify if asbestos is present

You can engage an asbestos surveyor from the Accredited Asbestos Services List to assess your buildings.
2

Create an asbestos management plan

If your school has buildings built before the year 2000, then you need an asbestos management plan. Download the asbestos management plan template.

Asbestos management plan (3.2 MB, Docx)
3

Record any asbestos found in an asbestos register

The asbestos surveyor should develop the asbestos register as part of any asbestos inspection undertaken.
4

Communicate the asbestos information

The asbestos management plan and asbestos register must be readily available and easily accessible at all times for staff and contractors working at the school.
5

Monitor the condition of the asbestos

Plan for regular inspections of asbestos or asbestos-containing materials (ACM). Record any changes to the condition in your asbestos management plan. Known asbestos-containing materials (ACM) should be regularly checked for any signs of deterioration or changes in condition. Any changes in condition or material removal must be recorded in your school’s asbestos management plan (AMP).

Refurbishment, demolition and excavation projects

Schools must complete an asbestos refurbishment or demolition survey before doing any work on site. The survey aims to identify all visible and hidden asbestos that will be affected as part of the work through intrusive inspections.

You should use surveyors listed on the Accredited Asbestos Services List (AASL) to complete this work.

Asbestos removal as part of your project

School boards should follow our removal requirements steps when managing asbestos. Contractors will put together a plan for your school to follow. The plan should include the following steps.

Conduct an asbestos refurbishment or demolition survey.
Isolate the asbestos risk.
Communication and consultation.
Air monitoring.
Removal of the asbestos.
Getting a clearance certificate.
Update the Asbestos Management Plan and asbestos register.

Your school should also use our checklist.

Ministry requirements for asbestos removal (330 KB, PDF)

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You can submit both the checklist and asbestos removal control plan to our health and safety team for review at SP.healthandsafety@schoolproperty.govt.nz. If you have any asbestos questions or enquiries, email us at asbestos.management@schoolproperty.govt.nz.

Paying for asbestos management

The cost of managing or removing asbestos safely is part of your project's costs. If it causes a major overrun in the budget, speak to your property advisor. We may be able to help with costs in some cases.

Use an accredited supplier

To make sure all asbestos-related activities in schools are conducted safely and effectively, and are compliant with health and safety regulations, we have established an accredited asbestos services list (AASL) for asbestos-related work. The list is split into 3 service categories.