Fencing PerthSheet 1 · Western Australia
Old asbestos cement fences
WA Health’s guidance on asbestos cement fences says an old fence is, in most cases, unlikely to put people at risk, but some need maintenance or removal, and removing one that is very badly damaged is strongly recommended and may be required by law. WA Health’s note adds that an authorised person can give directions under the Health (Asbestos) Regulations 1992 about asbestos material that may be a public health hazard, which could mean a fence must be repaired or removed.
General information for Western Australia, mainly from the Department of Health’s 2016 Guidance Note on Asbestos Cement Fences, not advice about a particular fence. To report a damaged asbestos cement fence, HealthyWA points you to your local government’s environmental health service.
Telling an asbestos cement fence apart
WA Health’s note says a fence made of cement sheeting, put up before 1990 and showing the features below, is highly likely to contain asbestos and should be treated as though it does; only laboratory analysis can confirm it.
The note gives five features typical of a corrugated asbestos cement fence, each set against what a fence without asbestos usually shows:
- the brand name “Super Six”, where fences without asbestos are commonly named “Hardifence”;
- usually seven ridges across a panel one metre wide, against usually five;
- diamond-shaped metal fasteners, where a fence without asbestos normally has none;
- a hessian, crosshatch-like pattern on the surface, against a vertical dimple pattern in lines;
- cement capping along the top, against metal capping, though cement capping may be missing or already replaced with metal.
Asbestos cementSeven ridges, crosshatch surface, diamond fasteners, rounded cement capping.
Without asbestosUsually five ridges, dimples in vertical lines, no fasteners, metal capping.
The features are a guide, not proof: in the late 1980s changeover, some panels without asbestos had seven ridges or diamond-shaped fasteners. Where there is reasonable suspicion, the note says to assume the fence is asbestos cement and manage it that way. Only analysis of a sample at a NATA-accredited laboratory says for certain, and the note says to consult the laboratory before a sample is taken.
Four condition ratings
The note rates a fence on three things: how weathered it is, the damage done to it, and how far it leans from upright. It calls the scale a guide rather than a definitive system.
| Rating | What the fence may show | What the note suggests |
|---|---|---|
| Good or fair | Little or no visible wear or damage: scratches, marks or a few small breaks; or a slight lean, for example under 5 cm at the top of a 2 m fence; or slight damage from plants; with no sign of weathering breaking down the cement surface. | Normally little action beyond keeping an eye on it and picking up by hand any fragments that have come off it. The note says to wear at least disposable gloves; a properly fitted P1 or P2 respirator, to Australian Standards, if fence dust could be disturbed; and asbestos-rated disposable overalls where clothes could become contaminated. It says to double-bag the fragments in plastic labelled with an asbestos warning, and to dispose of them on your local government environmental health officer’s advice. HealthyWA’s Asbestos removal page, linked below, gives its own fuller method for broken pieces, which calls for wetting them first and a P2 respirator, disposable coveralls, eye protection and gloves. |
| Average | Many small breaks, or several bigger cracks or holes; or a more marked lean, for example 5 to 15 cm; or heavy wear where plants rub; or a surface roughened by weathering so that fibres show. | Seriously consider replacing the damaged panels, and possibly the whole fence. Remove cement capping as soon as practical. Who should do it, and how, is under Who may take it down. |
| Poor | Some whole panels broken, or many cracks and holes; or a substantial lean with cracking, for example 15 to 30 cm; or raised asbestos fibres or moss plainly visible on the surface; or many of the average features. | Replace broken or badly leaning panels, and preferably the whole fence if it could be damaged further; remove cement capping; for work on a fence or capping in poor condition, the note strongly recommends an asbestos professional or removalist. Depending on the fence, an environmental health officer at the local government may direct its removal. |
| Very poor | Many broken panels, or fire damage; or a major lean with cracking, for example 30 cm or more; or raised fibres or moss over large areas; or many of the poor features. | Removal as soon as possible is strongly recommended, and in some cases an environmental health officer may direct it. Temporary warning signs or barriers may be needed until it goes. |
The note says these responses may need to be stronger where people, children above all, can reach or touch the fence, where it is likely to be damaged further, or where it no longer gives privacy or security. If you are unsure of the rating, it says to get advice from an asbestos competent person or occupational hygienist.
Capping is likely to rate worse than the panels, and weathering is most marked along the top of it. The note also says never to re-use asbestos cement panels.
Replacement is normally mandatory only for a fence that is extensively broken or leaning at risk of collapse, or that has been burnt; fire breaks the cement down so that semi-friable pieces peel off the sheet. Even so, the note says removal should be seriously considered sooner, because it will be needed at some stage and a fence left to deteriorate could become a public hazard and cost much more to remove properly.
What the Health (Asbestos) Regulations say
Quoted from the Regulations as at 29 September 2020.
Regulation 7(3): “A person who stores, breaks, damages, cuts, maintains, repairs, removes, moves, or disposes of, or uses any material containing asbestos without taking reasonable measures to prevent asbestos fibres entering the atmosphere commits an offence.”
Regulation 7(4): “For the purposes of subregulation (3), reasonable measures includes”
- (a)“using water or other practical measures to keep airborne material containing asbestos to a minimum;”
- (b)“not using any tools other than non-powered hand tools or portable power tools that incorporate dust suppression or dust extraction attachments designed to collect asbestos fibres;”
- (c)“using only vacuum cleaning equipment designed to collect asbestos fibres or wetting the area before sweeping up material containing asbestos;”
- (d)“not using a high pressure water jet, or compressed air, unless in a manner which adequately prevents asbestos fibres entering the atmosphere and which is approved in writing by the Chief Health Officer;”
- (e)“ensuring, so far as is reasonably practicable, that material containing asbestos is not broken or abraded;”
- (f)“ensuring that waste material containing asbestos is disposed of in accordance with the Environmental Protection (Controlled Waste) Regulations 2004 as soon as practicable.”
Regulation 7(4) lists measures that count as reasonable under regulation 7(3); the list is not complete, and it sets the test for an offence, not a method for a homeowner. WorkSafe WA says Western Australian law bans some tools and methods with asbestos because they put dangerous fibres into the air. When working with or removing it, never dry-sweep asbestos dust with a broom or brush; never cut, grind, sand or drill it with high-speed power tools; never clean it with high-pressure water or compressed air; and never use industrial drying fans where damaged or friable asbestos might be, until the area has been certified clear. HealthyWA says any removal work should be done by a licensed asbestos removalist.
Regulation 8 lets an authorised officer, by written notice, direct the owner of material containing asbestos, the owner or occupier of the premises where it is, or a person handling it, to maintain, repair, remove, move, dispose of or handle it as and when the notice sets. Within 28 days of being served, a person may apply to the State Administrative Tribunal to review the direction; not complying with it is an offence. If it is not met, the local government may do the work or arrange it, at the expense of the person who failed to comply.
WA Health’s note says these officers are mainly local government environmental health officers, sometimes Department of Health officers, and would normally step in only over a significant public health concern, or where neighbours cannot agree what to do about a fence.
A fence shared with a neighbour
The note says it is best for neighbours to work out a solution between themselves. If a dispute about removing an asbestos cement fence cannot be settled that way, and the local government is unable to require the fence’s removal, it may need to go before the Magistrates Court.
Building a new fence on your own side of the old one, when neighbours cannot agree, is best avoided, the note says, because it leaves the problem unsolved. How the Dividing Fences Act 1961 shares the cost of a fence is explained in the WA Government’s dividing fences guide.
Who may take it down
HealthyWA says asbestos removal is best done by licensed professionals, and that any removal work should be done by a licensed asbestos removalist. WorkSafe WA says a homeowner can remove less than 10 m² of non-friable asbestos themselves, but strongly recommends a licensed removalist, and says anyone unsure of the asbestos’s condition should ask a competent person for advice before any work starts. Removing over 10 m² of non-friable asbestos, or any friable asbestos at all, is work for a licensed removalist only. Anyone you pay to work on your property is bound by the legal rules for asbestos removal, and WorkSafe WA’s Online Licence Search lets you check a contractor holds the right licence. Removal may also need approval; WorkSafe WA points to the environmental health and compliance team at your council or shire.
For material that is severely damaged, or soft enough to crumble by hand, HealthyWA strongly recommends a Class A licensed asbestos removal contractor, whatever the amount. The 2016 note strongly recommends an asbestos professional or removalist for work that would disturb the fence considerably, or on a fence or capping in poor condition.
HealthyWA’s Asbestos removal page sets out, step by step, how a homeowner removes a small amount of asbestos cement, fence panels included, with the protective equipment it calls for. It is not retold here: anyone weighing the work should read that page whole.
The Department of Water and Environmental Regulation says not every landfill is licensed to take asbestos, and disposing of it anywhere but a licensed facility is an offence: ask your local waste facility first.