A laboratory can request approval from WorkSafe to analyse samples for the presence of asbestos or asbestos-containing material (ACM) for up to 12 months while undergoing accreditation by International Accreditation New Zealand (IANZ) or National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA).
More information on the laboratory accreditation regimes recognised by WorkSafe
Before you send your request
You must formally apply for accreditation to IANZ or NATA and agree a date for your initial assessment. They will provide you with a Notification of Initial Assessment.
What information must you provide us?
Please email us with the following information:
- Name of your laboratory undergoing accreditation.
- Scope of the accreditation being sought, for example AS 4964:2004 Method for the Qualitative Identification of Asbestos in Bulk Samples.
- The physical and postal address of your laboratory.
- A contact name, email address and phone number at the laboratory.
- Length of time the approval is required for.
Note - 12 months is the maximum length allowable under the Health and Safety at Work (Asbestos) Regulations 2016(external link).
You must also attach a copy of the Notification of Initial Assessment you received from IANZ or NATA.
Enter ‘Laboratory request for approval to analyse samples for presence of asbestos’ in the subject line, and email your request to asbestos@worksafe.govt.nz.
What happens next?
WorkSafe will grant approval for you to analyse asbestos samples for 12 months. Details of your laboratory, and this approval, will be added to the Approved Laboratory Register.
You can start analysing asbestos samples once you have received the approval notification from us.
What happens once you have received accreditation from IANZ or NATA?
You must advise us by email that you have received accreditation.
Enter ‘Laboratory received IANZ/NATA [as applicable] accreditation for sample analysis’ in the subject line, and send your email to asbestos@worksafe.govt.nz.
We will remove your details from the Approved Laboratory Register.
A list of IANZ-accredited laboratories(external link) is available on the IANZ website.
A list of NATA-accredited laboratories(external link) is available on the NATA website.
What happens if you want to withdraw from the accreditation process?
You must stop analysing asbestos samples immediately and advise us by email that you have withdrawn from the accreditation process.
Enter ‘Laboratory advice of withdrawal from laboratory accreditation process’ in the subject line, and send your email to asbestos@worksafe.govt.nz.
We will remove your laboratory details from the Approved Laboratory Register.
Laboratory accreditation regimes recognised by WorkSafe
WorkSafe has formally recognised the Australian National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) as an alternative accreditation regime for laboratories for the purposes of subclause ‘b’ of the definition of ‘accredited laboratory’ in regulation 3 of the Health and Safety at Work (Asbestos) Regulations 2016(external link).
As of 1 February 2023, laboratories seeking accreditation for the purposes of the Health and Safety at Work (Asbestos) Regulations 2016 can decide to be accredited by IANZ or NATA.
If you wish to request approval from WorkSafe to analyse samples for the presence of asbestos or asbestos-containing material while undergoing accreditation by IANZ or NATA, please refer to the process above.
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