Whanganui business Allan Tong diversifies into asbestos management services

Mitch Bakker has started offering asbestos management services through Allan Tong. Photo / Bevan Conley

A long-established Whanganui business is branching out to help commercial property owners meet legislative requirements around asbestos.

Mitch Bakker, of Allan Tong, has set up a branch of the business to provide asbestos management surveys and plans. The Health and Safety (Asbestos) Regulations 2016 requires all workplaces that operate from premises where asbestos has been identified to have an asbestos management plan. Buildings constructed before January 1, 2000 are more likely to contain asbestos-containing material.

Bakker recently completed the International Proficiency Certificate in IP402 - Surveying and Sampling Strategies for Asbestos in Buildings.

"It was a week-long, fairly intensive course with three exams - one practical and two theory," he said.

"The service we have set up is to complete management surveys and plans for commercial and industrial buildings.

"We are also able to complete demolition or refurbishment surveys for any buildings which are likely to be disturbed during construction.

"It is important for businesses to ensure the safety of both staff and potential tradespeople working in such buildings. We can do this by identifying all asbestos-containing materials within a building and, using this information, to formulate an asbestos management plan."

The plan would include information about decisions, and the reasons for them, about any identified asbestos in a building, procedures for incidents or emergencies involving the asbestos, and information about workers whose work involves asbestos including training, roles and responsibilities and health monitoring.

Bakker said he could also provide asbestos management services for residential properties that were being renovated.

Allan Tong was established in 1945, starting out as a painting firm and later moving into plaster cladding systems and membrane roofing services as well.