Malaysia announces procedure for asbestos removal 
In June 2020, “Asbestos removal application” was released in Malaysia. This document is an explanatory material for making an application to Department of Occupational Safety and Health Malaysia (DOSH) on asbestos removal work at the workplace, and applies to all business operators that implement asbestos removal in the workplace. This document clearly describes the background, purpose, scope, uses of asbestos, health effects of asbestos and flow related to asbestos removal.
First of all, employers who need to carry out asbestos removal select appropriate contractors based on conditions such as capability, experience and necessary equipment. Thereafter, the contractor must conduct workplace assessment and submit a set of documents summarizing its contents to DOSH for approval before starting the removal work. The documents to be submitted include flow of removal work, assessment results of risk to health from chemicals, safe operating procedure, medical examinations results of workers etc.
Carry out preparation for removal work after submitting the required documents and obtaining approval by DOSH. It is necessary to isolate the relevant area and display warning signs written in both English and Malay languages. An example of a warning sign is shown in the figure below.
After it is confirmed that there is no scattering of asbestos during the removal work (DOSH may carry out site visit inspection if required), the removal work is carried out. In the removal work, various aspects such as methods, personal protective equipment, site cleaning, storage/transportation/disposal of asbestos waste must be observed.
The original text of this document can be downloaded from the following URL.
https://www.dosh.gov.my/index.php/list-of-documents/osh-info/chemical-management-1/promotional-materials/3592-asbestos-removal-application/file
In addition, the original text of “Guidelines for Asbestos Removal 2017” can be downloaded from the following URL.
https://www.dosh.gov.my/index.php/competent-person-form/occupational-health/regulation/guidelines/chemical/2749-01-guidelines-for-asbestos-removal-2017/file
