Commercial strip outs with asbestos in Toowoomba

A commercial strip out in Toowoomba on an older building needs an asbestos plan before the fit-out crew arrives. Shops, offices and sheds built before 1990 often contain asbestos, and the duties on the owner or manager are more formal than at home.

Who is responsible

For a workplace, the person with management or control of the building must keep an asbestos register. If asbestos is identified, they also need a written management plan. This applies to buildings built before 31 December 1989. A register is not needed if the building was built after that date and no asbestos is identified or likely.

The register has to be reviewed at least every five years, or sooner if asbestos is disturbed, removed or sealed. A copy must go to demolition, refurbishment and maintenance contractors before they start. Strata bodies corporate with no employees are excluded from the register duty.

If you are a tenant, ask your landlord or agent for the register before you sign off on a fit-out.

Where asbestos shows up in commercial buildings

• Ceiling tiles and sheeting above shopfronts and offices.
• Wall linings and partitions.
• Eaves, awnings and roof sheeting on older sheds and warehouses.
• Vinyl flooring and the backing beneath it.
• Switchboards and meter boards, particularly those installed before 1990.
• Pipe and flue covers in plant rooms.

Low-density asbestos fibre board and sprayed insulation or fire retardants are friable. Those need a Class A licensed removalist. Our contractors hold a Class B licence, so we handle bonded (non-friable) material only. If your building has friable asbestos, call us and we will talk it through.

How we work on commercial jobs

We start with the register, if there is one, and a walk through the space. Anything not identified is sampled and tested by a NATA-accredited lab. See our asbestos testing service for how sampling works.

Then we:

1. Prepare the Asbestos SWMS and the removal paperwork.
2. Coordinate access so other trades are kept out of the work area.
3. Remove the bonded asbestos using wet methods and hand tools.
4. Wrap, label and transport the waste.
5. Clean the area ready for inspection.

Licensed removal is notified to WorkSafe Queensland at least five days before it starts. A written removal control plan is prepared before the work begins.

Clearance and air monitoring

After licensed removal, a clearance inspection checks the area is safe for normal use. It is done by an independent competent person or assessor, not by us. Air monitoring may be added, and it is mandatory for friable (Class A) removal.

An area passes when it is free from visible asbestos contamination and, if air was tested, fibres are below 0.01 fibres per millilitre. Then the written clearance certificate is issued, and your fit-out trades can start.

Commercial waste has different rules

Toowoomba Regional Council's Wellcamp facility does not accept commercial asbestos. It takes domestic asbestos only. Anyone carrying commercial asbestos waste needs waste tracking documents, whatever the quantity, and carrying more than 175 kg needs an environmental authority. We arrange transport to a facility that is licensed to take the waste. See asbestos disposal for how that works.

Rules change, so check the current rules at asbestos.qld.gov.au.

Timing and the tenancy

Strip outs often run to a tight lease or opening date. Testing early gives you facts to work with, before the schedule is fixed. Tell us the building's age, what is coming out and your target date, and we will say what is realistic.

More reading

See our main strip outs and demolition page for the full service. If an older farm shed or workshop is involved, the guide to shed and outbuilding demolition applies. Our service covers Toowoomba suburbs as well as nearby towns.