News - Aug 3, 2023 Training Conducted on Asbestos Management Code of Practice in Papua New Guinea

The Conservation and Environmental Protection Authority (CEPA) in collaboration with PacWaste Plus programme held a first-ever, stakeholders’ training on the Asbestos Management Code of Practice (AMCOP) in late July at the Crown Hotel in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea (PNG).

The daylong training was conducted by John O’Grady of Araspring Ltd and Alex Wood of More Environmental Ltd.  Both consultants were engaged through the PacWaste Plus Programme to progress the Asbestos management project activities in Tonga. The training was well attended by representatives from various Government agencies, industry/private sector with more than on half of the training participants being women.

The training was held to enhance understanding of AMCOP and its application in PNG and also to facilitate feedback on the AMCOP.

An AMCOP guides workers in the management, control, and safe removal (if needed) of asbestos and asbestos containing materials (ACM). The AMCOP documents international best practices on the management, control, removal, and disposal of asbestos and ACM. The Virtual presentation by the consultants included several modules including, Introduction to the PNG AMCOP; Air Monitoring, Working with Asbestos, Friable Asbestos; Asbestos Waste, In-situ Management, Asbestos in Soils and Naturally Occurring Asbestos; and the Asbestos Supplementary Guide, all derived from the draft AMCOP document.

The presentations were followed by active discussions during a question-and-answer session whereby participants expressed their views on the topics covered and raised important questions surrounding the application of the AMCOP in PNG.

The consultant is now working on incorporating the feedback received from the stakeholders into the AMCOP.  Once the feedback has been incorporated into the AMCOP it will be submitted to CEPA for the final review, followed by submission to the PNG Cabinet for approval and endorsement.

The Manager of the Infrastructure, Utilities, and Conventions (IUC) Branch of CEPA, Mr. Veari Kula thanked the participants for their continuous participation and contribution towards the development of vital guidelines and acknowledged SPREP for the constant support on the development of this much-needed document, through the EU funded PacWaste Plus Programme.