What Is an Asbestos Removal Control Plan?
A Plain-English Walkthrough for NSW
If your asbestos removalist has mentioned an Asbestos Removal Control Plan, but you’re not entirely sure what it is or whether you’re meant to be doing something about it.
You’re not alone. The acronym (ARCP) gets thrown around a lot, and most explanations online read like they were lifted straight out of the regulations. Let’s strip it back.
An ARCP is a written document that sets out exactly how asbestos will be safely removed from a site. It covers what’s being removed, who’s doing the work, how the area will be contained, what protective gear will be used, and how the asbestos waste will be disposed of. In NSW, your licensed asbestos removalist prepares it. Not you.
Here’s the rest of what’s worth knowing.
Why ARCPs Exist in the First Place
An asbestos removal control plan exists for one reason: to make sure asbestos comes out of a property without putting workers, occupants, or neighbours at risk.
Asbestos is hazardous when fibres become airborne. Without a clear plan in place, removal jobs can cut corners, miss containment steps, or skip air monitoring. That’s how exposure happens. The plan forces every detail to be thought through and documented before tools come out, not during the job.
It also creates a record. If something goes wrong or a property changes hands later, the ARCP shows what was removed, how, and by whom.
When You Actually Need One in NSW
Under the NSW Work Health and Safety Regulation, a licensed asbestos removalist must prepare an asbestos removal control plan before any licensed asbestos removal work begins. That includes:
- Any removal of friable asbestos (Class A licensed work)
- Removal of more than 10 square metres of non-friable asbestos (Class B licensed work)
- Demolition or refurbishment work where asbestos is present
- Commercial, industrial, or workplace asbestos removal projects
If you’re a homeowner having more than a small patch of bonded asbestos taken out, or you’re managing a demolition, an ARCP applies to your job. Your licensed asbestos removalist is responsible for preparing it. As the property owner or person managing the business, you should be given a copy and asked to sign off before work starts.
Not sure whether your job needs licensed removal? See the full list of asbestos removal services we cover.
What Goes Into an ARCP
Every ARCP is written for the specific site and project. The detail matters because no two jobs are the same. At a minimum, the plan covers:
- Site and project details – address, scope of work, start and finish dates, and the licence holder responsible.
- Type and location of asbestos – what asbestos-containing material (ACM) is present, where it sits, and whether it’s friable or non-friable.
- Removal method – wet removal, dry removal, glove-bag, or full enclosure, with the reasoning behind the chosen approach.
- Workers involved – who’s on site, their licences, training records, and what protective equipment they’ll use.
- Containment and decontamination – how the work area will be isolated, signage, decontamination units, and how dust will be controlled.
- Air monitoring – whether monitoring is required (it always is for friable asbestos) and who’s doing it.
- Waste disposal – how asbestos waste will be wrapped, labelled, transported, and where it will be disposed of.
- Emergency procedures – what happens if something unexpected occurs, like accidental fibre release or worker injury.
- Clearance – how the site will be inspected and certified safe before being handed back.
The plan must be kept on site for the duration of the work and made accessible to anyone who might be affected, including workers, the property owner, and SafeWork NSW inspectors if they show up.
The Health Stakes (Why All This Paperwork Is Worth It)
It’s worth being upfront about why this process exists.
Breathing in airborne asbestos fibres can cause mesothelioma, asbestosis, and lung cancer. These diseases often take 20 to 40 years to appear, which is what makes asbestos exposure so insidious. By the time symptoms show up, the damage is done decades earlier.
A properly prepared and followed ARCP keeps fibres contained, keeps people out of harm’s way, and keeps the disposal chain tight. Skipping or shortcutting it isn’t a paperwork problem. It’s a healthy one.
If you suspect that there’s asbestos on your property and want it confirmed before proceeding, professional asbestos testing is the safest first step.
What to Do as a Property Owner or Builder
If you’re the one organising the job, your role isn’t to write the plan. It’s to make sure the right people are doing it properly. A few things worth checking:
- Confirm your asbestos removalist holds the correct licence (Class A for friable, Class B for non-friable).
- Ask to see the ARCP before work starts and read through it.
- Make sure neighbours and any other workers on site know the plan and the timeframes.
- Keep the final clearance certificate and disposal documentation. You’ll want them later, particularly if you sell.
A good asbestos removal contractor will walk you through the plan, explain anything that isn’t clear, and make sure you understand what’s happening on your property and why. If they’re cagey about it, that’s a red flag.
The Bottom Line
An Asbestos Removal Control Plan isn’t just compliance for the sake of it. It’s the document that turns a risky job into a controlled one. If your property has asbestos that needs removing, the plan is the thing that stands between fibres staying contained and fibres ending up where they shouldn’t.
Make sure you’ve got one before any work starts, make sure it’s been written by a licensed removalist, and make sure you’ve read it. Everything else flows from there.
Got a job coming up and want to talk it through? Get in touch with our team or call 1300 599 320.
