About us
The Virotech Story
Founded in 2015, Virotech was set up as a specialist consultancy to ensure PCBU's, including business operators and property owners, could meet and exceed their requirements under the new Health & Safety at Work (Asbestos) 2016 regulations. As a result, we are now one of NZ’s leading Hazardous Materials (HAZMAT) consultancies, having managed some of the largest industrial and commercial HAZMAT projects in NZ under the new regulations. While we have extended our HAZMAT consultancy and compliance services into other specialist areas, we remain focussed on delivering expert asbestos consultancy as a priority to our customers. Our friendly and professional team of WorkSafe NZ licensed consultants will go the extra mile to ensure client satisfaction and to minimise the impact of HAZMAT compliance on day-to-day operations.
Why Choose Virotech
We are one of the only Asbestos and HAZMAT consultancies in NZ that are ISO 9001: 2015 quality management systems approved, so you can be assured we have best practise systems and processes in place to deliver a consistent and professional outcome every time.
We have an expert team of WorkSafe NZ licensed consultants and pride ourselves on going the extra mile to ensure our customers can meet and exceed their obligations under the regulations. No project is too big or small – we’ll make it work!
We have completed some of NZ’s largest multi-site and multi-region asbestos consultancy projects for both large corporate and government entities. To name a few - University of Waikato development, Farmers Trading Store Tauranga redevelopment and Ballance Agri-Nutrients site contamination project - industry award winning.
We have experience working with residential customers, large commercial and infrastructure clients, government departments, maintenance businesses and major civil and construction companies. We are happy to discuss other projects and partnerships on enquiry.
We cover the key HAZMAT services - asbestos, lead, mould, contaminated soil & land, dust and environmental monitoring.
We use proprietary technology to plan and manage each project. This ensures we produce user friendly reports and certificates in real time - bringing the surveys and clearances alive. Critical when teams of people and resources are waiting to continue to the next stage of the development.
We hold the full range of professional accreditations including IS0 9001: 2015, Licensed WorkSafe NZ Asbestos Assessors IP404, BOHS IP402 asbestos surveying and sampling qualification, SHE certified & SiteSafe certified, CIMS4 incident management. The work is covered by both specialist HAZMAT professional and public liability insurance.
Accreditations
Director Background
Health & Safety legislation was changing at the same time founder Darren Adams was studying for his Law degree. During this time he identified the opportunity in the HAZMAT industry, left his public sector role and Virotech was born. Whilst consulting, Darren continued his learning with a post graduate studies in Health Science. His passion for health & safety and innovation has meant the services Virotech provides have grown and are still growing. Darren’s service led approach has helped coin the phrase “we’ll make it happen”, ensuring flexibility and partnership approach in everything we do.
Scott Bower has recently joined the team as co-owner. Prior to Virotech he managed a medium sized commercial cleaning and services business with a focus on health & safety compliance. Scott has also had extensive domestic and international experience leading and growing businesses in the consumer goods and wine sectors. He is passionate about business process, growing engaged teams and service delivery with a ‘can do’ attitude. In addition to his commercial expertise, Scott has a conjoint BCom/BSc degree in Environmental Management.
We have dedicated and fully qualified leadership and consultants within each region we operate in, which we can discuss further on enquiry.
We are also on the lookout for further experienced team members, so please get in touch if you're interested.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is asbestos?
Asbestos is a naturally occurring fibrous mineral that was traditionally used in many commercial and residential building materials prior to 1990 but was still used up to the year 2000. It was popular for its strength, and resistance to fire, chemicals and water. It was often used in many building materials and construction because of its durability.
What are the dangers of asbestos?
Asbestos isn’t dangerous until it’s broken up, damaged or disturbed, usually through maintenance, renovation or demolition works. The asbestos fibres become airborne and can be inhaled - which is when it’s most hazardous. These tiny fibres get into the lungs, staying there - creating micro scars and damaging lung tissue.
