The majority of high-risk asbestos-related tasks must be exclusively undertaken by licensed contractors. However, the determination of whether a specific task requires licensing depends on the level of risk involved. The criteria for exempting a task from the need for a license are as follows:

1. The work must be sporadic and of low intensity, which means that the concentration of asbestos in the air should not exceed 0.6 fibers per cubic centimeter (f/cm3) over a 10-minute measurement.
2. The work should be conducted in a manner that ensures the exposure of workers to asbestos remains below the legal control limit of 0.1 asbestos fibers per cubic centimeter of air (0.1 f/cm3) averaged over a four-hour period.
3. The task must meet at least one of the following four conditions:
   • It constitutes a brief, non-continuous maintenance assignment involving only non-friable materials. (Non-friable materials are those that are unlikely to release asbestos fibers when worked on.)
   • It involves the removal of asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) in reasonably good condition without deliberate disruption, and the asbestos fibers are securely contained within a matrix, such as being coated, covered, or enclosed within another material like cement, paint, or plastic.
   • It pertains to ACMs in good condition and their sealing or encapsulation to prevent future damage.
   • It encompasses air monitoring and control activities to assess fiber concentrations in the air or the collection and analysis of asbestos samples to confirm its presence in a material.

Examples of asbestos-related tasks that do not require a license include:

• Cleaning up small quantities of loose or fine debris containing ACM dust, provided the work is sporadic, of low intensity, and short in duration, ensuring the control limit is not exceeded.
• Drilling textured decorative coatings for the installation of fixtures or fittings.
• Performing encapsulation and sealing work on ACMs in good condition.
• Carrying out maintenance tasks involving various asbestos-containing materials, such as asbestos cement products, ropes, yarns, woven cloth, gaskets, thermoplastic and vinyl floor tiles, bitumen roof felt, shingles, coatings, mastics, conveyor belts, drive belts, electric cables, and resin-based ACMs.
• Painting or repainting asbestos insulating board (AIB) that is in good condition.
• Removing asbestos cement products (e.g., roof sheeting and rainwater goods) with careful handling and without breaking them up, even if they are weathered but not substantially damaged.
• Removing small areas of textured decorative coatings using dust-reducing methods to support other activities like smoke alarm or light fitting installation/replacement.
• Detaching and re-attaching loosely fixed (e.g., screwed) asbestos insulating board (AIB) panels to access areas for maintenance activities or repair.
• Addressing AIB doors with asbestos fireproofing.
• Performing short-duration tasks like repairing minor damage to AIB or drilling holes in AIB during shelving installation.
• Conducting other work on materials containing asbestos (e.g., paints, bitumen, resins, rubber) where fibers are bound within a matrix, preventing their release, especially in aged or weathered ACMs.
• Engaging in activities related to collecting and analyzing samples to identify the presence of asbestos in various materials.