According to the National Association of Testing Authorities’ Chief Executive, Alan Patterson, studies have shown that 75 per cent of private sector multi-storey office buildings built between 1960 and the mid 1970s contained in situ asbestos, and 98 per cent of domestic housing constructed before 1976 contained asbestos products.
“This is the first accreditation in a program which provides heightened assurance to property owners, occupants and members of the public, as well as confidence that inspectors are looking in the right places in the right way.
“Hazard materials surveying is a crucial component of workplace health and safety, as the process identifies potentially harmful substances, including asbestos containing materials, lead paint, synthetic mineral fibre, polychlorinated biphenyl and ozone depleting substances,” Mr Patterson said.
The accreditation extends NATA’s role beyond asbestos testing laboratories for the first time. It is in accordance with International Standard 17020 for Inspection Bodies and is based on the model currently used in the United Kingdom.
Mr Patterson congratulated Coffey Environments on their achievement. “Through this accreditation, Coffey Environments is able to issue NATA endorsed survey reports and registers of assets as well as recommended management plans. It gives them a leading position in the industry and shows the robustness of their systems.”
Coffey Environments’ Rhodes office in NSW has received the first accreditation and the company has plans to apply for accreditation across all other state offices.
Workplace Health and Safety NSW Group Manager Mark Haydock, who has had experience with the UK model, said Coffey Environments had gone through an extensive process to achieve the accreditation, including rewriting standard operating procedures and putting in place a training system, in addition to the other requirements of ISO 17020.
The company will also carry out annual audits of staff and resurveys to monitor the quality of work provided.
“We believe our entire client base, which includes property, commercial, industrial, mining, petroleum and government, will benefit from and welcome NATA’s initiative to accredit suppliers for this important work,” Mr Haydock said.
Coffey is the only company to hold all three accreditations for asbestos work—surveying, air monitoring/fibre counting and fibre identification.
“We are able to work with clients to produce a hazardous materials register, and can assist in all areas of hazardous materials management, including surveying, air monitoring, production and implementation of management plans, training and project management of hazardous materials remediation.
“The accreditation firmly cements Coffey Environments’ position as the leader in the industry. We believe that other companies will follow suit, leading to an improvement in quality across the whole industry. This can only benefit the Australian community,” he said.
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For more information or for interviews, please contact:
Diana Krause, Communications Manager, Coffey International Limited
P: (+61) (3) 9473 1300; M: (+61) 420 959 942; E: diana_krause@coffey.com
or
Jamie Derkenne on 02 9736 8290, email jderkenne@nata.asn.au
About NATA
The National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) is Australia's national laboratory accreditation authority. NATA accreditation assures technical standards across government and private sectors.
About Coffey Environments
Coffey Environments provides environmental, health and safety, and sustainability services. Our commitment is to use our specialist knowledge to help improve working and living places. We have approximately 600 staff located throughout our offices in Australia, the Philippines and the United States of America.
The company practices in five main consulting areas: environmental services; workplace health and safety; sustainable engineering services; environmental and field ecological services; and specialist waste management.
Coffey Environments is a subsidiary of listed company Coffey International Limited (ASX = COF).
