Asbestos Roof Sheeting Removal & Replacement SWMS

Asbestos cement (AC) roof sheeting removal and replacement is one of the highest-risk construction activities undertaken in Australia, combining licensed asbestos work, working at heights above two metres, and fragile roof penetration risk on a single task. Most AC roofs installed before 1990 contain chrysotile and amosite fibres bound in a deteriorated cement matrix that releases respirable fibres when disturbed by cutting, breaking, or walking traffic. This Safe Work Method Statement is mandatory under WHS Regulation 2011 r291 because the work meets multiple High Risk Construction Work triggers simultaneously, and is further regulated under Part 8.7 (Asbestos) requiring a Class A or Class B licence depending on friability. The SWMS documents the wet-strip method, double-bagging and labelling protocol, exclusion zoning, air monitoring by an independent licensed assessor, and edge protection systems required before any sheet is disturbed. It must be prepared in consultation with workers, signed on by every person entering the work zone, and kept available for inspection by the regulator for the duration of the works plus the statutory retention period.

Hazards identified

7 hazards covered, sorted by priority.

Control measures

Hierarchy-of-controls order: elimination → substitution → isolation → engineering → administrative → PPE.

1. 1Elimination — Where structural assessment permits, remove and replace entire roof structure as a single panelised lift to eliminate piece-by-piece sheet handling and fibre release at height.
2. 2Elimination — Schedule works for low-wind, dry conditions below 25°C and cancel if wind speed exceeds 35 km/h to eliminate airborne fibre drift outside the exclusion zone.
3. 3Substitution — Replace abrasive cutting with hand-removal of fixings using cordless impact drivers and screw extractors so sheets are lifted intact rather than cut on the roof.
4. 4Substitution — Substitute traditional dry-removal with the wet-strip method using fine atomised water spray with surfactant applied continuously throughout sheet disturbance and lowering.
5. 5Engineering — Install full perimeter scaffold with hand and mid-rail, roof edge protection to AS/NZS 4994.1, and crawl boards or roof ladders distributing load across at least three purlins.
6. 6Engineering — Establish negative pressure decontamination unit with three-stage shower, HEPA-filtered air extraction, and signed-off exclusion zone perimeter at minimum 5 metres beyond the drop zone.
7. 7Administrative — Engage a licensed Class B (or Class A for friable) asbestos removalist, notify the regulator 5 working days before commencement, and engage independent licensed assessor for control and clearance air monitoring.
8. 8Administrative — Conduct pre-start briefing using this SWMS, verify all workers hold current asbestos awareness training and removal worker competency, and log sign-on each shift.
9. 9PPE — Issue Class P2 or P3 powered air-purifying respirators (PAPR) face-fit tested annually, Type 5/6 disposable coveralls taped at wrists and ankles, and laceless rubber boots decontaminated on exit.
10. 10PPE — Provide full body harness rated to AS/NZS 1891.1 connected to engineered roof anchor with 2m shock-absorbing lanyard, inspected by competent person before each use.

Applicable Codes of Practice

High-Risk Construction Work triggered

Worked example

On a regional warehouse reroofing project, the licensed supervisor opens this SWMS at the 6:30am pre-start tailgate beneath the established decontamination unit. Four removal workers, the air monitoring assessor, and the principal contractor's representative are present. The supervisor walks the crew through each of the seven documented hazards, pausing at the fragile-roof fall hazard to point at the newly installed perimeter scaffold and the three roof ladders spanning the purlins. The wet-strip control is demonstrated using the pump sprayer, and the surfactant mix ratio is confirmed against the SWMS. Each worker confirms their PAPR fit-test is in date and signs the daily sign-on register attached to the SWMS, including the visiting assessor. Mid-morning, wind speed rises to 38 km/h on the anemometer. The leading hand stops work, references the SWMS wind threshold of 35 km/h, and the crew descends, sheets currently being lowered are double-bagged and labelled in the skip before evacuation. The SWMS is annotated with the stop-work time, the air monitoring result for the morning shift is stapled to the back, and the document is re-issued for sign-on when conditions drop two hours later — demonstrating the SWMS as a live, in-field control document rather than a filed compliance artefact.

Related legislation

• WHS Act 2011 (model)
• WHS Regulation 2025
• How to Manage and Control Asbestos in the Workplace CoP

Frequently asked questions