TAKING away air monitoring during the removal of bonded asbestos will place workers at risk, an expert warns.

Kemm Environmental principal occupational hygienist Eric Kokoschko has urged Industrial Relations Minister Russell Wortley to alter occupational health and safety harmonisation legislation before Parliament, as it waters down present state asbestos safety measures.

"I fail to see the logic of these proposals," he said.

"Australia has one of the highest rates of asbestos-related diseases in the world. I fail to understand how the relaxation of our current controls can provide the necessary protection from exposure.

"It is my professional opinion that whenever any form of asbestos is disturbed then asbestos monitoring should be mandatory for the following reasons: it provides hard scientific data of the level of airborne asbestos fibres associated with the operation.

"Anything else is simply a guess and guesses do not stand up in a court of law.

"Asbestos removalists are more cautious and adhere more rigidly to the Code of Practice, with less breakages of cement sheeting material, once asbestos monitors are in place.

"Airborne asbestos monitoring is an engineering safety control at the `coal face' and is far superior to any form of administrative control from a distance."

Mr Kokoschko is among several industry figures who have written to Mr Wortley over their concerns.

He said the proposal to increase the timeframe for Asbestos Register updates from one to five years also was a major concern.

The letters are in a campaign by the SA Asbestos Steering Committee to have the legislation changed.

Chairman Andrew Butler said the group was not opposed to harmonisation of OH&S laws in Australia, but it wanted the following factors changed in asbestos regulations:

MAKE asbestos air fibre monitoring a must.

ENSURE annual inspections are a must.

MAINTAIN the current two-day notification period, rather than a five-day one.

A spokesman for Mr Wortley said the removal of bonded asbestos still would be air-monitored "if there is considered to be a risk of asbestos fibres being released".

He said: "South Australia will maintain air-monitoring for non-friable asbestos for the first 12 months once the regulations are updated to provide sufficient time to evaluate the implementation of the risk-based regime."

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/asbestos-law-a-risk-to-workers/story-e6frea6u-1226191866502