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Asbestos clearance certificate
What it is, who issues it, and the papers to keep after a removal.
The paper that proves an asbestos roof came off properly is the asbestos clearance certificate. It comes from an approved inspection authority, not from the contractor who did the work, and only after the site passes an air test. Keep it with the disposal document from the landfill: together they show the job was done to the 2020 regulations.
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What is an asbestos clearance certificate?
The Asbestos Abatement Regulations, 2020 define it as a written document verifying that the asbestos fibre count in the air meets the clearance indicator: fewer than 0.01 fibres per millilitre of air, measured to the HSG 248 method. In plain terms, it says the area has been cleaned and tested, and the air is clear.
Under regulation 22, once Type 2 or Type 3 asbestos work is finished, the approved inspection authority must inspect the work area, sample the air against that indicator, make sure all the asbestos waste has gone, and then issue a written declaration for the clearance certificate.
Who issues it, and who has to get it?
Regulation 11(3) puts the duty on the asbestos client, the person the work is done for, which for a house is usually the owner: after Type 2 or Type 3 work, the client must obtain the clearance certificate from the approved inspection authority.
The client also appoints that authority in writing before the work starts, and the contractor may not begin until it has been appointed (regulation 12). The separation is deliberate: the contractor never signs off its own job. You can check any contractor's name and expiry date on the register of asbestos contractors in Gauteng.
Which papers should you keep after an asbestos removal?
Three documents between them cover the whole job.
| Document | Who it comes from |
|---|---|
| Plan of work, sent to the DepartmentSubmitted at least seven days before the work starts (regulations 12 and 13). | Contractor and inspection authority |
| Disposal documentA document from the asbestos disposal site for all the waste taken away. Waste may only go to a designated site (regulation 21). | The landfill |
| Clearance certificateIssued after the visual inspection, the air test and the check that all waste has gone (regulation 22). | Approved inspection authority |
The inspection authority also has to give the air monitoring results to the contractor and to you (regulation 13). Ask for copies of everything and keep them with the property papers.
Why does the certificate matter when you sell?
You can sell a house with an asbestos roof. If the roof has already been replaced, the clearance certificate and the disposal document are your proof that the old sheets were taken off and disposed of to the regulations, rather than broken up and dumped. Hand copies to your agent with the other property documents. The guide to selling a house with an asbestos roof covers the rest.
Is there a certificate for a small job?
Not under regulation 22, which applies to Type 2 and Type 3 work. Removing less than 10 m² of asbestos cement, once in six months, is Type 1 work, which needs no registered contractor and no clearance. Anything bigger, such as a whole roof, a garage or a run of ceiling boards, is Type 2 work: a registered contractor, a plan of work, an inspection authority and a clearance certificate at the end. See how a compliant removal works and what it costs.
Questions people ask
Who issues an asbestos clearance certificate in South Africa?
An approved inspection authority, after a visual inspection, air sampling and a check that all the asbestos waste has gone, under regulation 22 of the Asbestos Abatement Regulations, 2020. The contractor who did the removal does not issue it.
Who has to get the clearance certificate?
The asbestos client, the person the work is done for. Regulation 11(3) says that after Type 2 or Type 3 work, the client must obtain the clearance certificate from the approved inspection authority.
What is the clearance indicator?
Fewer than 0.01 regulated asbestos fibres per millilitre of air, measured to the HSG 248 method. The area is cleared only once the air sampling shows a result below that.
Do I get a clearance certificate for removing a few sheets?
Not for Type 1 work: removing less than 10 m² of asbestos cement once in six months needs no registered contractor and no clearance. A whole roof is Type 2 work and ends with a clearance certificate.
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