Notice to Accredited Contractors and Licensed Plumbers

Tappings on asbestos pipe

The purpose of this industry alert is to remind plumbers of the hazards associated with asbestos cement (AC) pipe, and the requirements to protect people and the environment.

To better understand the risk, there are the common terms with respect to asbestos - friable or non-friable.

Friable asbestos is high risk. Friable asbestos can be crumbled, pulverised or reduced to a powder by hand pressure.

Non-friable asbestos is lower risk. It is mixed with cement or other hard bonding materials. Non-friable asbestos can become friable if damaged or old.

There are a range of obligations in Victoria's Occupational Health and Safety legislation for managing asbestos and removing asbestos, including the use of licensed Class A asbestos removalists.

There is existing AC piping in the Barwon Water network across the region, even though AC pipe has not been installed for over 30 years.

AC pipe becomes hazardous when the asbestos fibres are no longer bonded securely with cement and become airborne. Fibres from pipes can become airborne when a pipe is disturbed or damaged which could happen during tapping processes and other general maintenance. In these instances, AC pipe may break or become fragmented and dispersed in soil.

Effective controls are required to be put in place to reduce the risk to as low as reasonably practicable and protect the safety of workers and members of the community. Controls include using work methods and tools that control the release of asbestos fibres, wearing suitable personal protective equipment (PPE) and managing contaminated soil appropriately.

Please review the Barwon Water procedure on our website for managing tappings on AC pipe. The procedure can also be downloaded here.

When Barwon Water receives a new tapping application from a plumber, our Connections Team will advise if the main is listed as ‘asbestos cement - AC’.

Any works on AC mains require a licensed Class A asbestos removalist to conduct the excavation, remove all contaminated materials and obtain a clearance certificate by an independent (qualified) person. This is due to the risk of the asbestos being in friable form.

Barwon Water have licensed asbestos contractors listed on our services panel and contact details can be made available.

The plumber has the obligation to cover all costs of the asbestos contractor. The plumber will be informed at the tapping application stage that there are asbestos related assets in the ground to enable quoting for the services of an asbestos contractor.

After the plumber has completed any necessary service location and road opening permits, the licensed asbestos contractor who will be aware of WorkSafe requirements when working near asbestos will:

* Excavate the trench using mechanical method to approximately 100mm of the main and complete the excavation by hand (NOTE: non-destructive digging will not be used for the excavation)

* Prepare the site for the tapping

* Obtain extra soil for backfill. Or this can be arranged by the plumber.

Although there are EPA guidelines that allow soil that contains no visible asbestos or other contaminants be returned as fill, Barwon Water expects that the soil be removed as the highest level of risk control, not stockpiled.

If the plumber and their licensed asbestos contractor cannot meet all of the above criteria, the tapping will be cancelled and will need to be re-booked.

Hazards associated with AC pipes can be managed and must be managed to protect the safety of people and the environment. Barwon Water is committed to protecting health, safety and the environment, and welcomes feedback where improvement opportunities can be explored.

The presence of AC pipe and applications for tappings may vary across different water authorities in Victoria, however, the obligation to protect the health and safety of people and the environment are the same and outlined in the Occupational Health and Safety legislation and Environmental Protection legislation.

Information sources:

Asbestos.vic.gov.au

https://www.asbestos.vic.gov.au/in-the-workplace/employers/employers-who-own-their-building/removing-or-disposing-of-asbestos

Worksafe.vic.gov.au

https://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/asbestos

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