❓ Hon. Kate Doust asks the Minister for Commerce to commit to adopting Commonwealth Work Health and Safety Regulations 2011 regarding asbestos. The Minister declines, citing impracticality and WA's existing risk-based approach.
AnsweredQoN 1314Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
ASBESTOS — WORK HEALTH AND SAFETY
REGULATIONS 2011
1314. Hon KATE DOUST to the Minister for
Commerce:
Will the minister commit to
introducing the full range of commonwealth Work Health and Safety Regulations
2011 around asbestos?
REGULATIONS 2011
1314. Hon KATE DOUST to the Minister for
Commerce:
Will the minister commit to
introducing the full range of commonwealth Work Health and Safety Regulations
2011 around asbestos?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the honourable member for
the question.
Considerable work has been done by
the commonwealth over the last several years regarding a strategy for asbestos
location and disposal from all government and commercial buildings across the
country. That is a strategy that, as has been pointed out, is not only contrary
to the risk assessment process that is currently being used by WorkSafe in
Western Australia, but also impracticable due to the sheer scale of the
exercise involved. Although Western Australia is committed to the process of
removing asbestos as and when it is located and established to be a hazard, to
my knowledge no regulations have been drafted so far to give effect to the
commonwealth's strategy. Western Australia continues to use a risk
assessment–based strategy, under which if asbestos is located and an assessment
proves that there is a risk that requires its removal, it is dealt with on a case-by-case
basis. However, that is not by way of a blanket strategy as contemplated by the
commonwealth several years ago. There is certainly no intention to introduce a
one-size-fits-all strategy at this time.
the question.
Considerable work has been done by
the commonwealth over the last several years regarding a strategy for asbestos
location and disposal from all government and commercial buildings across the
country. That is a strategy that, as has been pointed out, is not only contrary
to the risk assessment process that is currently being used by WorkSafe in
Western Australia, but also impracticable due to the sheer scale of the
exercise involved. Although Western Australia is committed to the process of
removing asbestos as and when it is located and established to be a hazard, to
my knowledge no regulations have been drafted so far to give effect to the
commonwealth's strategy. Western Australia continues to use a risk
assessment–based strategy, under which if asbestos is located and an assessment
proves that there is a risk that requires its removal, it is dealt with on a case-by-case
basis. However, that is not by way of a blanket strategy as contemplated by the
commonwealth several years ago. There is certainly no intention to introduce a
one-size-fits-all strategy at this time.
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