Conducting asbestos surveys – Good practice guidance for asbestos surveyors

Status

Closed

Submissions closed

7 April 2025 at 17:00

WorkSafe consulted on new draft asbestos-related guidance for asbestos surveyors between Monday 24 March and Monday 7 April 2025.

This draft guidance document is part of a wider suite of asbestos-related guidance currently under development.

About this consultation

These guidelines provide good practice advice for persons conducting a business or undertaking (PCBUs) that carry out asbestos surveys.

The guidelines are intended to help PCBUs that conduct asbestos surveys to comply with the requirements of the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 (HSWA) and The Health and Safety at Work (Asbestos) Regulations 2016 (Regulations).

We were particularly interested in receiving feedback from:

asbestos surveyors
licenced asbestos removalists
asbestos assessors
PCBUs who hire or otherwise engage the services of an asbestos surveyor
those who work in trades that encounter asbestos as part of their work.

Please note:

This draft does not necessarily present WorkSafe’s final position on the information contained within them.
The current Approved Code of Practice: Management and removal of asbestos and other published guidance should still be referred to as WorkSafe’s primary guidance for managing asbestos. See the asbestos section of our website

Deadline for feedback

The deadline for receiving submissions was 5pm on Monday 7 April 2025.

Stages for asbestos guidance development

There are four draft guidance documents in the second stage of development of a wider suite of asbestos-related guidance.

Stage one (published in 2024)

Asbestos in New Zealand – information for businesses, workers, and others
Asbestos in the home – information for homeowners
Protective clothing and equipment for working with asbestos – guidance for PCBUs
Managing asbestos in your building or workplace – good practice guidance for PCBUs

Stage two (this stage)

Good practice guidance for asbestos surveyors

Available for review April/May 2025:

Good practice guidance for asbestos removalists
Good practice guidance for asbestos assessors
Health and Safety at Work (Asbestos Regulations) 2016 – interpretive guidance

Stage three

Protective clothing and equipment for working with asbestos – guidance for workers
Working with asbestos: Safe work practices – guidance for PCBUs and workers
Working with or near asbestos: Information for specific trades – guidance for PCBUs and workers

Privacy

The Official Information Act 1982 (OIA) allows New Zealand citizens and permanent residents, or anyone in New Zealand, to request official information from the government – including copies of submissions.

We will let you know if we receive an OIA request for a copy of your submission. The content of your submission may be made available to the public, however you can indicate on the response form whether you would prefer your details to be kept confidential.

We will manage any personal information you supply in accordance with the Privacy Act 2020.