An incidental exposure is where an individual may be exposed to a low level of asbestos dust for a short period of time, for example, when a bystander is present when a worker disturbs asbestos containing material and asbestos fibres become airborne.

Health monitoring is not required for incidental exposures to airborne asbestos fibres as asbestos-related diseases take many years to develop. Anyone who receives an incidental exposure to asbestos can register their suspected exposure through the National Asbestos Exposure Register.

If an incidental exposure occurs, the business owner/manager should record the incident and take steps to ensure there are controls in place to prevent or minimise the risk of further incidents. The incident does not need to be reported to SafeWork SA as a dangerous event.