But licensing for asbestos-containing material (ACM) removal has a different logic.
Asbestos is scary stuff and handling it or being on contact with it can severely damage your health.
And rightfully so, the government puts restrictions on when you can and can't remove asbestos for your safety.
But with asbestos, there are varying degrees of danger, so there are also varying licence requirements.
But how do you know whether the work needs a licensed professional or not? A general rule of thumb is that the state of the asbestos dictates whether you need a licence or not.
If it's friable or bonded, it's far more dangerous, and that's usually when a licence requirement kicks in.
Large amounts also indicate the need for a professional with a licence.
Licence requirements vary Every state has different requirements for the safe removal of asbestos-containing material (ACM).
When looking at the regulations around asbestos removal, most state regulators have different requirements for either bonded or friable asbestos-containing materials.
So what are they? Asbestos-containing materials fall into two broad categories: bonded and friable.
'Bonded' asbestos-containing materials 'Bonded' describes asbestos-containing materials (ACM) where the asbestos is firmly interwoven in the material.
They're not likely to release airborne fibres if they're not disturbed and so pose a lower health risk.
Examples of bonded ACM:
- flat and corrugated cement sheeting used in walls, ceilings and roofs
- moulded items such as downpipes
- vinyl floor coverings.
They're likely to release measurable levels of airborne asbestos fibres when disturbed, and generally pose a higher health risk Examples of friable ACM
- sprayed asbestos fire retardants
- thermal lagging, such as pipe insulation.