Bonded vs friable asbestos
Bonded (non-friable) asbestos is bound into another material, such as flat or corrugated fibro sheeting, asbestos-cement pipes and some floor tiles. It can't be crumbled by hand when dry. Friable asbestos can be crumbled, pulverised or reduced to powder by hand, such as pipe lagging and some insulation. Bonded asbestos damaged by fire, hail or water-blasting can become friable.
The 10 m² rule
In NSW, SafeWork NSW says a licensed professional must remove any friable asbestos and any amount of bonded (non-friable) asbestos over 10 m², and it recommends a licensed professional for any amount. A single shed roof, a fibro garage or the walls of a bathroom can easily add up to more than 10 m².
Class A and Class B licences
| Licence | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Class B (non-friable) | Removal of more than 10 m² of bonded (non-friable) asbestos. |
| Class A (friable) | Removal of any amount of friable asbestos, as well as bonded asbestos. |
A nominated supervisor must be present whenever Class A work is carried out, and present or readily available for Class B work. Always ask for the licence number and check it on asbestos.nsw.gov.au or through Service NSW before work starts.
Notification before work starts
For licensed removal work (any friable asbestos, or more than 10 m² of bonded asbestos), the licensed removalist must notify SafeWork NSW at least 5 calendar days before starting. They must also give notice to the person who commissioned the work, the occupier and owner of a home, and the immediate neighbours. Emergency removal after a sudden event has a separate phone-and-lodge process.
Transport and disposal
Asbestos waste must be wrapped and taken to a facility licensed to accept it. Under the NSW EPA's WasteLocate system, moving more than 100 kg of asbestos waste or more than 10 m² of asbestos sheeting has to be reported, and facilities that accept asbestos display a WasteLocate plate for transporters to scan. See our Orange disposal guide for local facilities.
What this means for Orange jobs
Typical jobs around Orange include fibro sleepouts and laundries in older homes, asbestos-cement roofing on orchard and farm sheds around Nashdale, Borenore and Canowindra, and vinyl floor tiles. A single fibro shed or a bathroom wall can easily go over 10 m², which makes it licensed work. Orange is covered by Orange City Council; Blayney, Millthorpe, Molong and Canowindra are in Blayney Shire and Cabonne councils, which run their own facilities.
Get a quote from a licensed removalist
Tell us what you've found, roughly how much, and whether it's damaged. We pass it to one licensed asbestos business that services Orange, and they contact you to quote. It's free and there's no obligation. Request a quote.
Where this information comes from
- SafeWork NSW: asbestos
- SafeWork NSW: asbestos notifications
- SafeWork NSW: working as a licensed asbestos removalist
- Cabonne Council: asbestos, waste tyres and WasteLocate
- asbestos.nsw.gov.au (NSW Government asbestos information)
Council rules, hours and fees change. Check with the council or facility before you rely on them.