Asbestos air monitoring measures the concentration of airborne asbestos fibres in a given workspace, before, during and after removal work. It is the only way to confirm that fibre levels are within safe limits, and for friable asbestos removal it is a legal requirement under NSW Work Health and Safety law. Hazardous Removal Company provides licensed air monitoring services across Sydney, Wollongong, the Central Coast and regional NSW, using calibrated equipment and NATA-accredited laboratory analysis.
If you have a removal job underway, planned, or already completed, air monitoring sits at the centre of the safety and compliance picture. This page explains when it is required, how it works, what the acceptable fibre levels are, and what equipment we use.
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When Air Monitoring Is Required
Air monitoring is required by SafeWork NSW in several specific situations:
- During friable asbestos removal. All friable removal work requires continuous air monitoring throughout the job, carried out by a licensed asbestos assessor. This is non-negotiable under NSW WHS Regulation 2017.
- During enclosed removal work. Where bonded asbestos removal is carried out inside a controlled containment, air monitoring is required to confirm fibres are not escaping.
- For clearance air monitoring. After friable removal, and for any enclosed removal job, clearance air monitoring is part of the certification process that produces the final clearance certificate.
- For background monitoring. Before removal starts, baseline monitoring may be required to establish pre-existing fibre levels in occupied buildings, schools or commercial sites.
- For workplace exposure monitoring. Ongoing air monitoring is required in workplaces where asbestos is present and may be disturbed by routine activities.
For bonded (non-friable) residential removal jobs, air monitoring is not always required by law, but we recommend it when removal happens in an occupied building, near schools or childcare facilities, or anywhere occupants will return to the space immediately after the work.
How Air Monitoring Is Conducted
The process is straightforward in principle, but the precision matters. Our licensed assessors follow the same controlled sequence on every job:
- Site assessment. The assessor walks the property, identifies where pumps need to be placed, and decides on the monitoring duration based on the scope of removal work.
- Equipment calibration. Each air sampling pump is calibrated on site before sampling begins, with the calibration recorded.
- Sample collection. Pumps draw air through a special filter cassette at a controlled flow rate, typically over a period of several hours during active removal work or for the duration of the clearance inspection.
- Filter analysis. The collected filter is sent to a NATA-accredited laboratory and analysed under phase contrast microscopy. Fibres on the filter are counted and converted into a fibre concentration measurement (fibres per millilitre of air).
- Written report. The assessor issues a written report including the sampling location, duration, flow rate, fibre count and the resulting concentration in fibres per ml of air.
For friable removal jobs, monitoring is continuous and results are checked regularly throughout the work. If fibre levels approach the action threshold, work stops and the containment is reviewed before resuming. See our friable asbestos removal page for the full friable process.
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Integration with Removal and Inspection Services
Air monitoring is rarely a standalone service. It works alongside asbestos removal, asbestos inspection and clearance certification to form the full safety and compliance loop on any removal project. We coordinate all four services from a single point of contact, which means you do not have to manage separate contractors for testing, removal, monitoring and clearance.
For larger commercial projects, we can also integrate air monitoring with workplace exposure monitoring programs and asbestos register updates.
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