Asbestos kills around 5000 workers each year. Around 20 tradesman die each week as a result of past exposure to asbestos.
This is why it is important that you protect yourself NOW!
Before you start any work in a building that might contain asbestos (eg built or refurbished before the year 2000), you need to do the following:
Identify whether asbestos is present and determine its type and condition.
People responsible for maintenance of non-domestic premises, have a 'duty to manage' the asbestos in them, and should provide you with information on where any asbestos is in the building and what condition it is in.
If no information is available or it is limited and you suspect asbestos may be present you should have the area surveyed and representative samples of the material you are going to work on analysed.
Alternatively, you can assume that any material you need to disturb does contain asbestos and take the appropriate precautions for the highest risk situation.
Carry out a risk assessment.
Decide if its possible to carry out the building or maintenance work avoiding the risk of asbestos exposure all together.
If that's not possible, you should identify who might be at risk and the level of possible asbestos exposure from any work.
On this basis, you must decide what work methods are necessary to provide effective control of the risks.
Decide if the work needs to be carried out by a licensed contractor.
Most asbestos removal work will require a contractor holding a licence from HSE.
All work with sprayed asbestos coatings and asbestos lagging and most work with asbestos insulation and asbestos insulating board (AIB) requires a licence.
Identify if your work needs a licensed contractor.
If the work is not licensable, decide if the work needs to be notified.
If it doesn't need a licence, you can do maintenance work on or around ACMs with the appropriate controls in place.
Some non-licensed work also has additional requirements, ie notification of work, medical surveillance and record keeping. This work is known as notifiable non-licensed work (NNLW).
Ensure those carrying out the work are suitably trained.
Any worker who is liable to disturb asbestos during their day-to-day work needs to receive appropriate training to enable them to protect themselves and others.
Licensed asbestos removal
Most higher risk work with asbestos falls into the category of Licensed Asbestos removal. Such works must be completed by a licensed asbestos contractor. Licensable work with asbestos is work where:
Licensed asbestos removal projects need to be notified to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). This process is subject to a 14 day notification period.
Non-licensed asbestos removal
The risks associated with non-licensed asbestos removal are lower. For this reason contractors do not need a licence to complete such projects. Common non-licensed works include the removal of:
Notifiable non-licensed asbestos removal
Certain projects can be non-licensable but still require notification to the HSE. In such cases suitable control measures need to be implemented. Examples of two situations that could fall into this category are:
For both licensable and non-licensable work, you still need to make sure you comply with the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012. This will prevent exposure to asbestos.
Your responsibilities
Failure to adhere to licensing regulations and appointing an inappropriate contractor can lead to severe repercussions. Deciding which type of asbestos removal project best meets your needs, will involve a thorough risk assessment. Full guidance on this subject can be found at the HSE website, or please don not hesitate to contact us for guidance.
Prevent exposure to asbestos and protect yourself & others NOW!
Contact us and we will advise you on your best options.
