What Is an Asbestos Awareness Course and How Often Should You Take It?

When you step onto a renovation site, a school plant room or a commercial ceiling space, hidden hazards deserve your full attention. An asbestos awareness course, especially one that Melbourne teams recognise, gives you the practical understanding to spot risks early and avoid exposure. 

Read what asbestos awareness training covers, who needs an asbestos awareness certificate and how often you should refresh training in Melbourne so your crew stays safe and compliant.

What Is an Asbestos Awareness Course?

An asbestos awareness course is asbestos safety training designed for people who may come across asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) while they work, without undertaking removal. You learn where asbestos was used, how to recognise likely ACMs, what to do if you suspect the presence of asbestos and how to escalate through your site’s asbestos management plan. 

It is not removal training; removal work is a licensed activity with separate units, supervision requirements and licenses under the model WHS Regulations.

What Does Asbestos Awareness Training Cover?

Expect clear, practical content aligned with Australian guidance:

• Typical ACM locations across residential, commercial and industrial settings.

• Health effects from airborne fibres and why disturbance elevates risk.

• Safe work practices for drilling, cutting and access planning (or when to stop).

• Procedures for suspected asbestos: isolation, reporting and engaging licensed assessors/removalists.

• Your role versus the duties of the PCBU, supervisors and licensed removalists.

Who Needs Asbestos Awareness Training?

If your tasks could disturb building materials – think carpentry, plumbing, electrical, HVAC, facilities, data cabling, painting, roofing, demolition prep or strata maintenance – awareness training is strongly expected as part of your WHS induction and ongoing competency. 

Under the model WHS framework, PCBUs must provide information, training and instruction to manage asbestos risks. This training is the sensible baseline for anyone who might encounter ACMs while doing their job.

Asbestos Exposure: Why Awareness Matters

Inhaling asbestos fibres can cause serious disease, including asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma – often decades after exposure. Awareness helps you recognise potential ACMs before you cut, drill or disturb materials, which is where most risk arises.

Awareness vs Removal: What’s the Difference?

• Asbestos awareness training: Identifies risks, outlines controls and guides escalation. It does not authorise removal.

• Removal training/licensing (Class A/B): For hands-on removal with strict supervision, advanced PPE, decontamination, air monitoring and regulatory notifications.

How Often Should You Take It?

There is no single Australia-wide renewal period for asbestos awareness. The model Code of Practice requires PCBUs to ensure workers have suitable training and update that training when risks, methods, equipment or roles change. 

Many organisations schedule periodic refreshers to keep knowledge current, especially after procedure updates or when workers move into higher-risk tasks. If your role expands or you’re supervising others, refresh sooner rather than later.

Course Duration and Format

Most awareness courses are concise (often half-day), blending theory, case studies and scenario planning. Edway delivers asbestos awareness as part of its construction and safety portfolio, with options to suit individual workers and businesses in Melbourne and Sydney. 

For removal work, look to the dedicated non-friable/friable removal courses and licensing pathways.

Who Recognises the Training?

Awareness courses align with asbestos training requirements in Australia set out in the model WHS framework and state regulators. In NSW, SafeWork provides an online asbestos awareness and safety course that is typically designed as a general public awareness tool and for very specific risk groups (e.g., DIY home renovators). These are educational resources, not competency-based training issued under a Registered Training Organisation (RTO).

By contrast, Edway’s asbestos awareness course is delivered as part of accredited workplace training by an RTO (RTO No. 91401)

Remember: Always follow your site’s asbestos register and management plan.

When a Refresher Makes Sense

Schedule refreshers when:

• Your work methods or tools change (e.g., new cutting systems or access equipment)

• You move into higher-risk environments (e.g., demolition prep or plant room upgrades)

• Your PCBU updates the asbestos management plan, isolation steps or reporting lines

• You’re supervising apprentices or contractors and need sharper escalation judgement.

FAQs

Is asbestos awareness training mandatory?

If your role may expose you to ACMs, training is expected under WHS duties to provide information, training and instruction so risks are controlled. Your PCBU will specify the requirements for your site.

How long does an asbestos awareness course take?

Typically, a few hours for a single session. Formats vary by provider; many offer online or face-to-face options to fit rosters.

Do I need a licence after awareness training?

No. Awareness does not permit removal work. Removal requires licensed training and regulatory authorisation.

How often do I renew asbestos awareness training?

Follow your employer’s schedule and risk profile. There’s no nationally fixed interval; refresh whenever work practices or risks change.

Does awareness training cover risk management documents?

Yes. Courses explain how to use the asbestos register and management plan and when to stop work and escalate to licensed professionals.

The Takeaway

Asbestos awareness is practical insurance for your team. It builds pattern-recognition, confidence to pause and escalate and a shared language around safe decisions. Choose a recognised asbestos awareness course in Melbourne, keep it current as your tasks evolve and help your crew return home healthy – every shift.

Strengthen site safety – book an asbestos awareness course in Melbourne today.