Brisbane handyman fined over unlicensed Airtasker asbestos removal

Brisbane handyman fined over unlicensed Airtasker asbestos removal

A handyman in Brisbane, who replied to an Airtasker ad for asbestos removal, has been sentenced in the Brisbane Magistrates Court following a guilty plea to breaches of Queensland workplace health and safety laws.

Joseph Owais appeared in court on Friday. He holds various trades qualifications but is not a licensed asbestos remover. He responded in July of 2019 to an Airtasker ad to remove asbestos from a home in the Brisbane suburb of Paddington.

Across three days, Owais and an assistant removed more than 35 square metres of asbestos-containing material. It was heard in court that the asbestos-containing material was loaded into a ute, unsealed.

Owais pleaded guilty to unlicensed asbestos removal, failing to ensure the appropriate containment and labelling of the material and unlawfully directing his assistant to help with the work.

He was fined $3000 without a conviction.

Currently, in Queensland, unlicensed people can remove 10 square metres or less of asbestos, but a higher volume must be removed by a licensed professional.

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