by David Wiskar, Paul Weeks (UU), Peter Aspinall (WSP) and Joe Meissner (Veolia)
Following the announcement by the Office of Industrial Relations to grant an HPWJ exemption for sewer cleaning to the urban water sector in Queensland, this webinar provided an opportunity to hear industry experts break down the background and regulatory framework of the exemption, the research findings on asbestos risks in wastewater networks and the development and implementation of a Safe Work Method Statement.
👉 Download the presentation.
After years of advocacy and research, qldwater secured an exemption from the Office of Industrial Relations (Queensland’s safety regulator) for Queensland Water Service Providers regarding the use of High-Pressure Water Jetting for sewer cleaning.
This exemption, valid until 2030, applies to:
👉 Download the letter of exemption here.
👉 Download the Exemption Decision Document here.
The exemption follows extensive research on asbestos fibres in sewers, sewer flows, biosolids, and treatment plants. This study involved presence and absence testing at 20 Water Service Providers across Queensland.
This achievement was made possible with the strong support of Urban Utilities—Queensland’s largest Water Service Provider—and their contractors, Veolia and WSP. Their expert Occupational Hygiene advice, combined with collaboration between qldwater, the regulator, and unions, helped develop Safe Work Method Statements (SWMS) to ensure worker safety.
👉 Download the sample SWMS here.
The exemption requires Water Service Providers to implement appropriate safety training and adopt a Safe Work Method in line with the regulator’s approval. While providers must tailor their SWMS to local conditions and equipment, the core safety principles outlined in the sample SWMS must be followed.
qldwater hosted this webinar to support the sector in understanding these requirements and to share the research findings and safety measures needed for compliance.