Quick Reference Guide
March 2015
Schools Officers - Asbestos Awareness
Schools Officers play a vital role in the department’s asbestos management procedures to ensure the
safety and wellbeing of the school community and service providers.
The management of asbestos-containing material (ACM) in department-owned schools and educational
workplaces is an issue we take very seriously.
Central to the department’s staff asbestos awareness strategy is the ‘Asbestos Management – your role’
key messages, informing staff of requirements when facilities-related work is undertaken in departmentowned schools.
Asbestos Management – your role!
No WAAP, no work, no way!

BEMIR Work Area Access Permits (WAAPs) are a “permit to work”.

Service Providers must have a current WAAP before any building related work starts at a facility.
Clear out before building related work begins

No students of staff are to be in the area or room while building related work is underway.

Asbestos removal work must take place outside of operational hours.
Be asbestos aware, act with care

Only external service providers are to undertake building related work with assumed or confirmed
asbestos-containing material.

Departmental staff are not to undertake building related work with assumed or confirmed
asbestos-containing material.

Know your asbestos management team and report any damage, incidents or concerns.
Let the professionals take care of the clean

External service providers are responsible for cleaning up after their own building related work.

Where an asbestos incident (including accidental damage) has occurred, Building and Asset
Services (BAS) or their nominated contractor must undertake the repairs and clean.
Schools Officers’ Responsibilities
As identified in the Asbestos Management Plan for DET Facilities Section 5: Responsibilities, Schools
Officers have a responsibility to adopt the following protocols to ensure ACM is managed as per the
department’s policy:

Adhere to policy/procedures on asbestos management;

Ensure no departmental equipment is issued to Service Providers (including Staff or P&C);

Not to undertake any work on assumed or confirmed ACM including make safe repairs;

Obtain a WAAP before commencing any maintenance activities; and

Not allow access to service providers to carry out work unless specifically authorised to do so through
the receipt of an approved WAAP.
In addition, schools are required to issue Schools Officers with a period WAAP for ‘routine day-to-day tasks’.
A period WAAP provides the Schools Officer with a current asbestos register at the time of issuing and
should be used to determine if a maintenance activity can be undertaken or not in relation to assumed or
confirmed presence of ACM.
Schools Officers are reminded not to undertake any work on assumed or confirmed ACM including make
safe repairs.
All corrective actions must be undertaken by BAS.
* Note: Special Requirement when issuing period WAAPs to employees. As employees are not to
undertake any work on ACM, please insert the following statement in the “Special Conditions” section of the
WAAP when creating electronically in BEMIR.
“Requirements in the attached “General Conditions of Access”, “Special Conditions of Access (Asbestos)”
and Sections A and B in the “After the Work is Completed” section of the WAAP do not apply to DET
employees as they are not to undertake ANY work on ACM.”
Asbestos Management Information
Further information is available from the department’s website:

available via the OnePortal Quick links ‘Asbestos Management’

or via the URL: http://education.qld.gov.au/asbestos/index.html
Resources available include:

Policy for the management of asbestos-containing material in department-owned facilities

Asbestos Management Plan (AMP) For DET Facilities

Asbestos Awareness – annual presentation – delivered by the School Principal to all staff

Dr Keith Adam vodcasts

Information about Asbestos Management Team (AMT) and BEMIR user training
BEMIR Information
If you require further information about the Built Environment Materials Information Register (BEMIR), locate
the OnePortal ‘Quick links’ and select (BEMIR) Built Environment Materials Information Register.
The BEMIR page will give the user access to:

BEMIR – Production Live Environment’;

BEMIR – Training Environment; and

BEMIR Quick Reference Guides.
For more information about Asbestos Management or if you would like to be part of your school’s AMT then
please speak with your Principal.