Asbestos awareness course online: can you do it, and what do you get?
Asbestos awareness courses in Sydney and beyond run online. You get a Certificate of Completion. It is not a licence and does not let you remove asbestos.
Written byEdway
The short answer
Yes. Asbestos awareness training is a self-paced online course you can do from anywhere in Australia. When you finish, you get a Certificate of Completion. It shows you have done awareness training. It is not a licence, and it does not allow you to remove asbestos.
You walk into an older building, you see a dusty soffit, a tired old eave, a sheet behind the meter box. This course gives you the knowledge to stop, recognise the risk and make the right call.
Asbestos course Melbourne or Sydney? Study online
The asbestos awareness course is offered online only. Whether you live in Melbourne, Sydney or a regional town, you take the same online course.
Online learning offers unmatched flexibility. There's no need to commute, take time off work or rearrange your week. You log in when it suits you, between job sites and dinner prep.
Studying online means you can work through it at your own pace, on a phone, tablet or computer with internet access. The access link is emailed to you after you book. You have 2 months from enrolment to finish.
Asbestos awareness is about recognising and understanding asbestos risks, not physically handling the material. That is why the online format suits it so well.
There are no prerequisites. You do not need photo ID or a skills test to enrol. You do need basic English to complete the course.
Who needs asbestos awareness training?
Asbestos was used in many Australian buildings, so people who work on older homes and buildings may come across it. The course is aimed at plumbers, labourers and other tradespeople. SafeWork NSW gives electricians, plumbers and bathroom or kitchen renovators as examples of workers who may come across asbestos.
Asbestos awareness for tradespeople is about real work on real sites. You learn where asbestos hides, so you can keep your mates safe and your future intact.
How it fits into workplace health and safety
Under workplace health and safety rules, Safe Work Australia says a business must train workers who might come across asbestos in their work. That training duty sits with the business, not the worker. An awareness course is one way workers learn the basics, but your employer decides what training your job needs.
If you are not sure what your employer expects, ask them before you book. Some employers also ask workers to refresh their awareness training from time to time, so check your workplace policy.
Everyone in the workplace deserves to feel safe. A well-informed workforce leads to a safe work environment.
What the asbestos awareness online course covers
The course teaches you to recognise where asbestos may be and how to avoid exposure. Topics include:
- the history and uses of asbestos, and where it is typically found
- the health effects and diseases linked to asbestos
- how to avoid being exposed
- legal and procedural processes, including asbestos management plans
- personal protective equipment (PPE) and decontamination
- safe removal and disposal procedures, at awareness level only
The aim is to help you identify asbestos safely, so you know when to stop work and get help. On the job, that looks like this:
- Pause work when materials look suspicious.
- Ask for the asbestos management plan where relevant.
- Step back before you create a fibre cloud.
You move faster because you hesitate at the right moment.
Your asbestos awareness certificate
When you finish, you receive a Certificate of Completion. It is emailed to you, and you can also download it from your student account.
Here is what your certificate means:
- It is a non-accredited course, so it is not nationally recognised training and does not lead to a Statement of Attainment.
- You do not need a USI (Unique Student Identifier) for it.
- It has no formal expiry date.
- It is not a licence, and it does not authorise you to remove asbestos.
If your job involves removing asbestos, you need accredited removal training instead: Remove Non-Friable (Class B) or Remove Friable (Class A). Removal is licensed work, and the licence is held by the business doing the removal, not by the student. Our guide which asbestos course do you need? compares the options.
The course is delivered and issued by Edway Training (RTO 91401). The price is on the course page.
Next step
If you need to recognise asbestos and avoid exposure, but not remove it, this is the course to do. You get the knowledge, certification and confidence to recognise asbestos hazards, on your terms. Go to the Asbestos Awareness course page to book and start online.
Sources
- Safe Work Australia — Asbestos WHS dutiesBusinesses must train workers who may come across asbestos (named in prose only)
- SafeWork NSW — Employer training obligationsExample trades that may come across asbestos
- Edway knowledge base — courses/asbestos-awareness/index.mdCourse topics, who it is for, delivery mode, requirements
- Edway knowledge base — courses/asbestos-awareness/offerings.yamlSingle national self-paced online offering; issuing RTO
- Edway knowledge base — courses/asbestos-awareness/recognition.mdCertificate of Completion, not nationally recognised, no expiry, not a licence
- Edway knowledge base — courses/asbestos-awareness/work.yamlEmployer training duty and example trades
- Edway knowledge base — courses/asbestos-awareness/faq.yamlRemoval needs a separate accredited course