Asbestos Removal JSA Template
Covers non-licensed removal of up to 10 m² of non-friable asbestos-containing material — eaves sheets, wall infill panels, and small asbestos cement fence or roof sections — on residential and light-commercial jobs. The template steps through material identification, exclusion-zone set-up, wet removal methods, waste double-wrapping, personal decontamination and visual clearance. It does not cover friable asbestos or removal beyond the 10 m² threshold, which must be handed to a licensed removalist.
SWMS variants reference your state’s WHS legislation. Instant download after payment.
This Job Safety Analysis breaks a small non-licensed asbestos removal task into eight sequential steps — from confirming the material is genuinely non-friable and under the 10 m² threshold, through exclusion-zone set-up, wet removal of whole sheets, double-wrapping of waste, personal decontamination, and a final visual clearance before disposal at a licensed facility. It is written for bonded (non-friable) asbestos cement products such as eaves linings, wall infill panels and small fence or roof sheet sections. Each step lists the specific hazards, an initial risk rating, hierarchy-tagged controls and the residual risk once controls are in place. The document is honest about its limits: it does not authorise friable removal or work beyond 10 m², both of which must go to a licensed asbestos removalist.
Construction work that involves, or is likely to involve, the disturbance of asbestos is high-risk construction work under regulation 291 of the model WHS Regulations, so where this removal forms part of construction work a SWMS must be prepared before work starts. This JSA adds step-level detail to that SWMS but does not discharge the SWMS duty. In Victoria, the equivalent obligations sit under the OHS Regulations 2017.
Hazards identified
17 hazards covered, sorted by priority.
Arises at step: Confirm the material and the scope of removal — review the asbestos register or division 5 report, have a sample analysed by a NATA-accredited laboratory (or assume it contains asbestos), and measure the total sheet area to confirm it is non-friable and no more than 10 m². Initial risk HIGH, reduced to LOW with the listed controls in place.
Arises at step: Confirm the material and the scope of removal — review the asbestos register or division 5 report, have a sample analysed by a NATA-accredited laboratory (or assume it contains asbestos), and measure the total sheet area to confirm it is non-friable and no more than 10 m². Initial risk MEDIUM, reduced to LOW with the listed controls in place.
Arises at step: Set up the work area — erect barricades and asbestos warning signs, notify and exclude occupants and other trades, close windows and doors, and shut down or seal air-conditioning intakes near the work. Initial risk HIGH, reduced to LOW with the listed controls in place.
Arises at step: Set up the work area — erect barricades and asbestos warning signs, notify and exclude occupants and other trades, close windows and doors, and shut down or seal air-conditioning intakes near the work. Initial risk MEDIUM, reduced to LOW with the listed controls in place.
Arises at step: Don PPE and lay drop sheets — fit-checked P2 respirator, disposable coveralls with hood over respirator straps, laceless footwear or boot covers, then 200-micron plastic sheeting on the ground beneath and beyond the removal area. Initial risk HIGH, reduced to LOW with the listed controls in place.
Arises at step: Don PPE and lay drop sheets — fit-checked P2 respirator, disposable coveralls with hood over respirator straps, laceless footwear or boot covers, then 200-micron plastic sheeting on the ground beneath and beyond the removal area. Initial risk MEDIUM, reduced to LOW with the listed controls in place.
Arises at step: Wet the material and release fixings — keep sheets damp with a low-pressure garden sprayer or PVA solution and extract nails or screws by hand tools only. Initial risk HIGH, reduced to LOW with the listed controls in place.
Arises at step: Wet the material and release fixings — keep sheets damp with a low-pressure garden sprayer or PVA solution and extract nails or screws by hand tools only. Initial risk HIGH, reduced to LOW with the listed controls in place.
Arises at step: Remove sheets whole and lower them to the ground — no snapping, sliding or dropping; sheets passed down intact and placed directly onto plastic. Initial risk HIGH, reduced to LOW with the listed controls in place.
Arises at step: Remove sheets whole and lower them to the ground — no snapping, sliding or dropping; sheets passed down intact and placed directly onto plastic. Initial risk HIGH, reduced to MEDIUM with the listed controls in place.
Arises at step: Remove sheets whole and lower them to the ground — no snapping, sliding or dropping; sheets passed down intact and placed directly onto plastic. Initial risk MEDIUM, reduced to LOW with the listed controls in place.
Arises at step: Double-wrap and label the waste as it comes down — sheets wrapped in two layers of 200-micron polythene, taped sealed and labelled, small debris double-bagged. Initial risk MEDIUM, reduced to LOW with the listed controls in place.
Arises at step: Double-wrap and label the waste as it comes down — sheets wrapped in two layers of 200-micron polythene, taped sealed and labelled, small debris double-bagged. Initial risk MEDIUM, reduced to LOW with the listed controls in place.
Arises at step: Decontaminate the work area and personnel — wet-wipe tools and hard surfaces, H-class vacuum any residue, then follow the doffing sequence: wipe down PPE, coveralls off inside-out and bagged, respirator removed last. Initial risk HIGH, reduced to LOW with the listed controls in place.
Arises at step: Decontaminate the work area and personnel — wet-wipe tools and hard surfaces, H-class vacuum any residue, then follow the doffing sequence: wipe down PPE, coveralls off inside-out and bagged, respirator removed last. Initial risk HIGH, reduced to LOW with the listed controls in place.
Arises at step: Visual clearance and disposal — inspect the area for fragments and dust, fold drop sheets dirty-side-in and bag them as asbestos waste, then transport all waste directly to a facility licensed to accept asbestos. Initial risk MEDIUM, reduced to LOW with the listed controls in place.
Arises at step: Visual clearance and disposal — inspect the area for fragments and dust, fold drop sheets dirty-side-in and bag them as asbestos waste, then transport all waste directly to a facility licensed to accept asbestos. Initial risk MEDIUM, reduced to LOW with the listed controls in place.
Control measures
Hierarchy-of-controls order: elimination → substitution → isolation → engineering → administrative → PPE.
- 1Elimination — Hold point: any sheet that crumbles by hand, is fire-affected or has been shattered by drilling is treated as friable — do not proceed; hand the work to a Class A licensed removalist
- 2Administrative — Have a sample analysed by a NATA-accredited laboratory before work, or treat the material as asbestos-containing and apply full controls
- 3Administrative — Measure and record the area of every sheet before starting; if the running total for the job will exceed 10 m², stop and engage a Class B licensed removalist
- 4Isolation — Barricade an exclusion zone with asbestos warning signage at every approach before any sheet is touched
- 5Administrative — Schedule the removal for when occupants are off site and brief all other trades at the pre-start toolbox talk
- 6Engineering — Shut down and seal HVAC intakes and close all windows and doors within the affected zone
- 7Administrative — Postpone external removal in high wind; check conditions at the pre-start
- 8PPE — Fit-tested P2 half-face respirator (AS/NZS 1716) for every worker, with a fit check at each donning per AS/NZS 1715
- 9Administrative — Workers are clean-shaven where the respirator seal contacts the face; no seal, no entry to the zone
- 10Engineering — Lay 200-micron plastic drop sheets under the full removal area, extended past the expected drop line and weighted at the edges
- 11Elimination — No power tools, abrasive cutting, sanding or high-pressure water on asbestos cement — ever; fixings released with hand tools only
- 12Engineering — Keep the sheet surface and fixing points continuously damp with a low-pressure sprayer or PVA solution during removal
- 13Isolation — Isolate, lock out and test for dead all circuits in the work zone before any wetting begins
- 14Engineering — Remove all fixings first and lift each sheet away whole; mist any accidentally broken edge immediately
- 15Administrative — Two-person removal rhythm agreed at pre-start: one releases, one supports — no forcing stuck sheets
- 16Engineering — Work from a platform ladder or light scaffold so both hands are free to control the sheet
- 17Administrative — Second worker receives and lowers each sheet — no climbing down while carrying
- 18Administrative — Two-person lift for full-length sheets and mechanical or rope lowering where sheets start above shoulder height
- 19Administrative — Wrap each sheet as it reaches the ground — no stockpiling of bare asbestos cement on site
- 20Engineering — Keep the stack lightly misted if wrapping is briefly delayed
- 21Engineering — Double-wrap sheets and double-bag debris in 200-micron polythene, seal all edges with tape and label every package 'CAUTION ASBESTOS'
- 22Elimination — Dry sweeping and household vacuums are prohibited on asbestos jobs — no exceptions
- 23Engineering — Clean only with wet wipes and an asbestos-rated Class H HEPA vacuum
- 24PPE — Single-use coveralls worn once and disposed of as asbestos waste — never taken home or reworn
- 25Administrative — Fixed doffing order at the zone boundary: wet-wipe PPE, coveralls peeled off inside-out and bagged, gloves off, respirator removed last
- 26Administrative — Systematic visual inspection of the work area, drop zone and access paths before barricades come down; drop sheets folded dirty-side-in and disposed of as asbestos waste
- 27Administrative — Arrange an independent clearance inspection where the client, contract or your state regulator requires one
- 28Administrative — Transport waste directly to an EPA-licensed asbestos disposal facility the same day and keep the disposal receipts with the job record
Applicable Codes of Practice
Wet methods, PPE, decontamination and clearance for non-licensed removal.
High-Risk Construction Work triggered
Construction work that involves, or is likely to involve, the disturbance of asbestos is high-risk construction work under regulation 291 of the model WHS Regulations, so where this removal forms part of construction work a SWMS must be prepared before work starts. This JSA adds step-level detail to that SWMS but does not discharge the SWMS duty. In Victoria, the equivalent obligations sit under the OHS Regulations 2017.
Who this is for
- →Builders and renovation carpenters removing eaves linings, infill panels or small wall sheets on pre-1990 homes
- →Plumbers and electricians who need to remove small sections of asbestos cement sheet to access services
- →Fencing contractors replacing damaged asbestos cement fence sheets
- →Property maintenance and facilities teams looking after older residential and light-commercial buildings
- →Strip-out and minor demolition crews handling small quantities of bonded sheet within the non-licensed threshold
What you receive
- ✓Editable Microsoft Word (DOCX) template — add your logo, company details and site specifics in minutes
- ✓Pre-filled eight-step task breakdown with concrete hazards, before-and-after risk ratings and hierarchy-tagged controls
- ✓PPE, training and emergency-response sections written specifically for non-licensed non-friable asbestos work
- ✓Worker sign-on table for toolbox delivery and acknowledgement
- ✓Document control fields — revision number, review date and approver — to keep the JSA current
- ✓One-off purchase with immediate download; reuse and adapt it across your jobs
Worked example
This Job Safety Analysis breaks a small non-licensed asbestos removal task into eight sequential steps — from confirming the material is genuinely non-friable and under the 10 m² threshold, through exclusion-zone set-up, wet removal of whole sheets, double-wrapping of waste, personal decontamination, and a final visual clearance before disposal at a licensed facility. It is written for bonded (non-friable) asbestos cement products such as eaves linings, wall infill panels and small fence or roof sheet sections. Each step lists the specific hazards, an initial risk rating, hierarchy-tagged controls and the residual risk once controls are in place. The document is honest about its limits: it does not authorise friable removal or work beyond 10 m², both of which must go to a licensed asbestos removalist.
Related legislation
- Work Health and Safety Act and Regulations of your state or territory (in Victoria, the OHS Act 2004 and OHS Regulations 2017)
- How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks Code of Practice
- Where the task is high-risk construction work: the SWMS provisions of your jurisdiction (a JSA supplements, and does not replace, a required SWMS)
Frequently asked questions
Do I still need a SWMS for this work?
Usually yes. Construction work that involves, or is likely to involve, the disturbance of asbestos is high-risk construction work under regulation 291 of the model WHS Regulations, so if this removal is part of construction work a SWMS must be prepared before work starts. This JSA supplements a SWMS with step-level detail — it does not replace it or discharge the SWMS duty. In Victoria the equivalent requirements sit under the OHS Regulations 2017.
Can I legally remove asbestos without a licence?
In most Australian jurisdictions, a person can remove up to 10 m² of non-friable (bonded) asbestos in total for the job without an asbestos removal licence. Beyond 10 m² you need a Class B licensed removalist, and any friable asbestos always requires a Class A licence. The ACT is stricter — all asbestos removal there must be done by a licensed removalist. Check your own state or territory rules before starting; this template does not substitute for licensed removal.
What respirator do I need for non-friable removal?
A P2 respirator to AS/NZS 1716 is the minimum, and a fit-tested half-face reusable P2 is the better choice for removal work. Fit testing and a seal check at every donning (per AS/NZS 1715) matter as much as the rating — a P2 with a leaking seal from stubble protects no one. Disposable P2 masks without a proper fit are not adequate for this task.
How do I dispose of the asbestos waste?
Double-wrap sheets and double-bag debris in 200-micron polythene, seal with tape and label every package 'CAUTION ASBESTOS'. Waste — including used coveralls and drop sheets — may only go to a facility licensed to accept asbestos; putting it in a general skip, kerbside collection or clean-fill site is illegal in every state. Keep the disposal receipts with your job records.
Does this template cover friable asbestos?
No. Friable asbestos — anything that crumbles by hand, including fire-damaged or badly weathered sheet — must always be removed by a Class A licensed removalist, regardless of quantity. The JSA builds this in as a stop-work trigger: if material turns out to be friable at any point, work stops and the job is handed to a licensed removalist.