WorkSafe’s Updated Asbestos Guidance: What’s Changed and What You Should Do Now
- Apr 29
- 5 min read
If you’ve worked in construction, maintenance, manufacturing, property, or trades in New Zealand, you’ll know asbestos is one of those risks that never really goes away. It’s still sitting quietly in older buildings and plants, and it can show up when you least expect it.
That’s why WorkSafe’s updated asbestos guidance, published in stages (first in August 2024, then the final stages released on 16 April 2026), is worth paying attention to. It’s not just a refresh. It’s a clearer, more role-specific suite of resources designed to reflect how asbestos work is actually happening now.
And with asbestos still the number one cause of work-related death in New Zealand, there are around 220 deaths each year from asbestos-related disease; this is not an area where we can afford confusion.
What has WorkSafe updated, and why now?
From a consultant’s point of view, one of the biggest problems we see is not a lack of good intentions. It’s a lack of clear, usable direction when people are under time pressure.
WorkSafe’s updated suite aims to make asbestos guidance:
Easier to follow
More detailed
More targeted to specific roles
Better aligned with current industry practice
WorkSafe has said this guidance was developed in close collaboration with industry, and that comes through in how the resources are structured. Instead of expecting everyone to sift through one big document, people can now go straight to what applies to their work.
What’s included in the updated suite of asbestos guidance?
WorkSafe’s updated suite includes:
Interpretive guidelines for the Health and Safety at Work (Asbestos) Regulations 2016
Good practice guidelines (GPGs)
Quick guides and information sheets
Videos
A mapping document showing where key content from the 2016 Approved Code of Practice (ACOP) sits within the new guidance
In plain terms, here’s how to think about it:
Interpretive guidelines explain the legal requirements and how WorkSafe will enforce them
Good practice guidelines explain accepted good practice for meeting those legal duties
The quick guides and videos make the information easier to use in day-to-day work
The interpretive guidelines: what they cover
These interpretive guidelines explain requirements in the Health and Safety at Work (Asbestos) Regulations 2016 for:
Managing asbestos in workplaces
Removing asbestos
Carrying out asbestos-related work
They also outline related requirements from the General Risk and Workplace Management Regulations 2016.
WorkSafe breaks the interpretive guidelines into four parts:
Part A: Introduction
This includes what asbestos work is allowed in New Zealand and how to use the guidance.
Part B: Managing asbestos in workplaces
This covers duties for PCBUs to manage asbestos risk where asbestos might be present.
Part C: Asbestos removal duties
This includes removing asbestos, asbestos-contaminated soil, and asbestos-containing material (ACM), including removal during demolition and refurbishment.
Part D: Asbestos-related work
This covers work involving asbestos that is not removal work, like working near asbestos where it might be disturbed.
Who should read these guidelines?
In WorkSafe’s words, these are intended for anyone who wants to understand what is required and how WorkSafe will enforce the regulations. That includes:
People engaging in asbestos removal for a workplace or home
People managing or controlling workplaces where asbestos may be present
Tradespeople and workers who might encounter asbestos at work
Asbestos practitioners, surveyors, and assessors
What about the 2016 Asbestos ACOP? Is it still in place?
Yes. This is one of the most important points.
The 2016 ACOP for the Management and Removal of Asbestos remains in place for now.
WorkSafe consulted in October 2025 on revoking the ACOP in favour of the new guidance. A key outcome from that consultation was that the industry wanted to retain an ACOP.
So WorkSafe’s current plan is:
The 2016 ACOP will be retained until after upcoming HSWA reforms
Three new good practice guidelines (surveys, removal, and assessments) will be converted into Codes of Practice (COPs)
WorkSafe will seek further industry feedback, likely late 2026 or early 2027, before converting those GPGs into COPs
WorkSafe will consult again before seeking Ministerial approval to turn those COPs into ACOPs (if appropriate)
From a practical standpoint, this means you should treat the updated guidance as the direction of travel, while recognising the ACOP is still officially in place.
What’s actually changed from the 2016 ACOP?
WorkSafe has been clear that there are differences between the 2016 ACOP and the new guidance because:
Accepted best practice has evolved
Some definitions needed clarification
Errors or omissions in the 2016 ACOP have been corrected
Some of the specific updates WorkSafe has called out include:
Surface testing requirements for asbestos clearance inspections
Exclusion of swabs during asbestos surveys
Exposure monitoring requirements
Clearer definitions around asbestos-containing dust and minor contamination
From our perspective, this is exactly where businesses can get caught out. Many organisations rely on older templates or “the way we’ve always done it”. The updated guidance is a prompt to check whether that approach still reflects current expectations and good practice.
What businesses should do now (practical steps)
If your workplace could contain asbestos, or your workers and contractors might encounter it, here are practical steps we’d recommend:
Review your asbestos management plan
Make sure it still reflects your current sites, people, and work types.
Check your processes for refurbishment and maintenance
This is where we see risk spike. People start a job, and asbestos becomes a surprise.
Make role-specific guidance easy to access
Surveyors, removalists, assessors, and trades all need different details. Make sure they can find what they need quickly.
Update contractor expectations
If contractors work on your sites, make sure asbestos responsibilities are clear and consistent.
Brief your team on what’s changed
It does not need to be heavy. A toolbox talk and a quick reminder on stop-work triggers can go a long way.
How Safewise can help
Managing asbestos is one of those areas where good intentions are not enough. What matters is having clear, workable systems in place before asbestos is encountered, not after.
Safewise is based in Waikato, and while we work closely with businesses across the region, we also support clients throughout New Zealand.
From a practical workplace health and safety perspective, we support businesses by:
Helping put effective asbestos management systems in place
We help businesses identify where asbestos may be present, review asbestos management plans, and make sure systems are practical and usable in day‑to‑day work.
Supporting better decision‑making before work starts
Most asbestos risk shows up during maintenance, refurbishment, or demolition. We help clients build checks and controls into their planning processes so asbestos is considered early, not discovered mid‑job.
Reviewing and updating procedures as guidance changes
As WorkSafe guidance and accepted good practice evolve, we help review and update procedures, so they remain current and aligned with expectations.
The aim is not perfect paperwork. It’s to help businesses make safer, more confident decisions when asbestos risks arise.
WorkSafe’s updated asbestos guidance is a positive step. It’s clearer, more detailed, and easier to navigate for specific roles. Most importantly, it helps reduce the confusion that often leads to poor decisions when people are rushed.
If asbestos might be in your workplace, now is the right time to refresh your approach, align with updated good practice, and make sure your team knows what to do when asbestos is suspected.
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