There is a Work Health and Safety Act in force in Western Australia, this Act of Parliament is required as unscrupulous employers expose workers to unnecessary risk. The WHS Act 2020 is supported by Regulations 2022 providing greater detail for business enterprises. The regulator, that is Worksafe in Western Australia provides further information in the form of Codes of Practice, Guidance Notes, and Information Sheets to assist in interpretation.

Older buildings in Australia were constructed with asbestos materials, whilst no new buildings [or products] should contain asbestos, we must always consider possible contamination. Therefore, all facilities, especially older facilities, must have an asbestos register and an asbestos plan. There is also a duty for employers, known as the Person Conducting a Business Undertaking [PCBU]; plus there are officers acting on behalf of the PCBU. An officer is a person with decision making capabilities, basically management, but definitely not leadership.

So in 2025, it would be unthinkable that workers [and others] would be exposed to asbestos in a state government organisation. When harsh penalties are imposed at the PCBU and officers, one would expect they take their responsibility seriously, or so you would think. So you could imagine my utter disbelief when management who were aware of the asbestos threat directed workers without an asbestos management plan, personal protective equipment including coveralls and a respirator to clean out an identified asbestos area to be more than concerned, I was mortified.