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Asbestos awarenessfree online course for New Zealand trades and cleaners

Where asbestos hides in older New Zealand buildings, why you cannot tell by looking, when to stop and whom to tell, and who is allowed to remove it.

  • About 40 min
  • 5 short modules
  • 15 questions
  • 85% to pass
An old building stripped back for renovation, with the ceiling open, framing exposed and tools on the floor.

About this course

Many New Zealand buildings still contain asbestos, and the people most likely to disturb it are the ones fixing, wiring, painting, plumbing and cleaning them. This course shows you where it tends to be, why nobody can confirm it by eye, and when to stop and whom to tell if you find or disturb it. It does not teach you to sample, handle, remove or clean up asbestos.

You can study and sit the assessment free, with no account. WorkSafe, the regulator, also publishes free asbestos learning modules and trade posters, linked on this page, and you may prefer them. Pay only if you pass and want our certificate, and ask your employer first if the training is for work.

What you will learn

  • Describe how disturbed asbestos can harm health and why the harm shows up years later
  • Recognise places in New Zealand buildings and products where asbestos is commonly found, and the dates that raise suspicion
  • Recognise that suspect material cannot be confirmed by looking, and know to ask for the asbestos management plan and register before starting work
  • Know what to do if you find or disturb suspect asbestos: stop, keep people away, leave it alone, report it to the person in charge and follow your workplace's procedure
  • Describe who may remove which kinds of asbestos, and what your employer must do about training and records

Who this course is for

  • Builders, electricians, plumbers, painters, roofers and other tradespeople who work on older buildings
  • Labourers and apprentices on renovation, maintenance and fit-out jobs
  • Maintenance and facilities staff in schools, offices, halls and rental properties
  • Cleaners working in buildings put up before 2000

How the course works

  1. 1. What asbestos is and how it harmsWhat asbestos is, why disturbing it matters, the diseases it causes, and how fibres travel home.About 6 min, ending with a quick check
  2. 2. Where asbestos turns up in New ZealandThe dates that raise suspicion, where each trade commonly meets asbestos, and the hidden places to think about.About 6 min, ending with a quick check
  3. 3. Checking before you startWhy nobody can confirm asbestos by eye, who takes samples, and how to use the asbestos management plan and register.About 6 min, ending with a quick check
  4. 4. If you find it or disturb itWhat to do when you find suspect material, the steps after an accidental disturbance, and why ordinary cleaning makes it worse.About 6 min, ending with a quick check
  5. 5. Who may do what, and your rightsRemoval versus working near asbestos, Class A and Class B licences, what your employer must do, and your right to stop.About 7 min, ending with a quick check
  6. Sit the assessment15 questions drawn at random. You need 85% to pass, and there is no time limit. If you do not pass, you will see which topics to review, then try again with a new set of questions.Free, and so are retries
  7. If you pass, the certificate is your choiceYou pay once, then get the PDF straight away and a copy by email. Your place is saved on this device the whole way, with no sign-up.NZ$24.90, optional
A sample Steadyhand Training certificate of completion made out to Your Name, with its details blurred.
Sample. Yours shows your name, the course, the date and an ID anyone can check.

What this certificate does and does not show

  • It is not asbestos removal training. It is not a Class A or Class B licence, or any part of one, and it does not make you a competent person for unlicensed removal. Never remove asbestos because you have finished this course.
  • There is no practical assessment. It does not train you to fit or check a respirator, use an H-class vacuum, decontaminate, or bag and dispose of asbestos waste.
  • On its own it does not meet a PCBU's duty under regulation 17 of the Health and Safety at Work (Asbestos) Regulations 2016. Your employer decides whether training is adequate for the work you do, and your employer keeps the training record.
  • It does not qualify anyone to identify, sample or test asbestos. Only a sample analysed by an accredited laboratory confirms it.
  • It is not a qualification or a unit standard, carries no continuing professional development points, and is not specific to your trade, building or site. If your employer or site needs a particular course, ask before you buy anything.

Anyone can check a certificate on our verification page using its ID or QR code. More about the certificate.

Questions about this course

Can I remove asbestos after doing this course?

No. This is awareness training only. It is not a Class A or Class B removal licence or part of one, and it does not make you a competent person for the small amounts that can be removed without a licence. Removal needs proper training, equipment and a plan. If you are asked to remove asbestos, stop and ask your employer.

Does this course meet my employer's training duty under regulation 17?

Not on its own. Regulation 17 requires your employer to make sure you are trained in identifying asbestos, handling it safely and suitable control measures, and to keep a record. Your employer decides what training is adequate for your work, and WorkSafe says training should be tailored and fit for purpose. If your employer requires workplace health and safety training, ask whether they provide or fund it before purchasing this optional certificate. This awareness course does not replace workplace-specific training or induction.

How is this different from WorkSafe's free asbestos modules?

WorkSafe's modules come from the regulator, are free and are built on its own guidance for tradespeople, so they are a good choice. We are independent of WorkSafe. This course is written for trades, labourers, maintenance staff and cleaners at awareness level, ends with a free assessment, and offers an optional certificate for NZ$24.90 after a pass. When choosing a course, WorkSafe suggests checking things such as whether it fits your trade, comes in other languages, offers continuing professional development points or leads to a formal qualification. Ours is general, in English, and offers none of those.

I think I was exposed to asbestos years ago. What should I do?

WorkSafe's advice is to tell your GP at your next regular appointment. Asbestos diseases take many years to develop, and Health New Zealand says the risk from a single low-level exposure is considered extremely low. If you have symptoms such as ongoing breathlessness, a cough that will not go away or chest pain, talk to your doctor sooner.

Can I test a suspect material myself?

No, and this course does not teach you how. Leave it alone, keep others away and report it to the person in charge. WorkSafe says sampling should be done by a competent person, because taking a sample can release fibres, and workplace samples must be analysed by an accredited laboratory. At home, Health New Zealand says to talk to a health protection officer at your local public health service before any sample is taken.

Official sources behind this course

The lessons are original summaries of these sources. For your own situation, the source is what counts.

Show all 18 sources

Version 1.1.1, last checked 2026-11-03. Approved for publication by our editor on 2026-11-09. Not reviewed by an external professional. How we check our content.

Need help before you start?

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Free to study.
Certificate NZ$24.90 if you pass.