Asbestos removal and assessor licences

If your business is involved in removing asbestos material you will need to obtain an appropriate licence.

Friable asbestos – class A asbestos removal licence

A 'class A' asbestos removal licence is for businesses removing friable asbestos. Class A asbestos removal licence holders must ensure the removal of friable asbestos is directly supervised by a nominated supervisor.

Nominated supervisors for class A asbestos removal work must be at least 18 years old and have at least 3 years or relevant industry experience. Any nominated supervisor changes must be notified to Workplace Health and Safety Queensland (WHSQ). The nominated supervisor must also have certification in both:

• CPCCDE3015A Remove friable asbestos
• CPCCBC4051A Supervise asbestos removal.

Class A asbestos removal licence holders are also authorised to carry out class B asbestos removal work, and the removal of asbestos-contaminated dust or debris (ACD) that is greater than minor contamination.

Non-friable (bonded) asbestos – class B asbestos removal licence

A 'class B' asbestos removal licence is for businesses removing 10m² or more of non-friable asbestos. The licence does not authorise the removal of friable asbestos (class A asbestos removal work).

Where class B asbestos removal work is being carried out by more than 1 person, the licence holder must ensure a supervisor is readily available to the workers carrying out the asbestos removal work.

A class B asbestos removal work supervisor must be at least 18 years old and have at least 1 year of relevant industry experience. The supervisor must have certification in:

• CPCCDE3014A Remove non-friable asbestos
• or
• CPCCDE3015A Remove friable asbestos.

When applying for a class B asbestos removal licence, the applicant does not need to provide WHSQ with details about supervisors for class B asbestos removal work.

Although a licence is not required to remove less than 10m² of non-friable asbestos material, all asbestos removal work must be carried out properly using safe work procedures. Refer to the Work Health and Safety (WHS) Regulation 2011 (WHS regulation) and How to safely remove asbestos – code of practice 2021 (PDF, 2.2MB) for more information.

Asbestos removal licences issued under the WHS Regulation 2011 are valid for a period of 5 years.

Read the Australian Business Licence and Information Service (ABLIS) summary for the following Asbestos licences:

• Asbestos Removal Licence – A Class
• Asbestos Removal Licence – B Class.

Apply for an asbestos removal licence

Download and complete Form 80 – Application for asbestos removal licence for Class A or Class B (PDF, 303KB), ensuring required documents are attached.

Asbestos assessor licence

An independent licensed asbestos assessor is required to carry out certain functions connected with 'class A' asbestos removal work. These are:

• air monitoring
• clearance inspections
• issuing a clearance certificate.

Asbestos assessor licences are valid for a period of 5 years and are issued to individuals, not a business. The licence will be subject to conditions that are imposed to ensure that all licensed asbestos assessors maintain an appropriate level of transparency in their operations and are aware they may be monitored by WHSQ to ensure asbestos assessor activities are being carried out safely and competently.

Apply for an asbestos assessor licence

Download and complete Form 81 – Application for asbestos assessor licence (PDF, 191KB).

Also consider...

• Read the Asbestos licensing and notification guide for applicants (PDF, 240KB) to find out more about removing asbestos safely.
• Find a RTO offering asbestos removal and courses.
• Find out more about work health and safety licensing.