Comprehensive Asbestos Guidelines for Safe Removal & Compliance

If you suspect you may have asbestos on or within your property, or you have had the presence of asbestos confirmed, you may be wondering how to approach the issue. Is it safe to leave where it is? Should you have it removed? If you want it removed, how to go about it? For those responsible for commercial premises, it is a legal requirement to follow the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012. Here’s what you need to know.

Asbestos guidelines for non-domestic property owners

The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 were introduced to help reduce the number of asbestos related deaths in the UK which, according to the Health and Safety Executive, number 5,000 every year.

The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 replaced the earlier Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006 with some minor modifications, most of which related to record keeping and notification of non-licensed work.

Anyone who manages or is responsible for maintenance and repairs within a non-domestic building is bound by the regulations, and known as the ‘dutyholder’.

The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 provide that the dutyholder takes steps to manage the risk of asbestos in a number of ways. These include:

• Taking relevant steps to determine the presence of asbestos containing materials (ACMs) within the building and, where any are found, recording the amount, location and condition.
• Assuming that materials contain asbestos, unless there is clear evidence to the contrary.
• Creating and maintaining current records of the location and condition of all ACMs.
• Carrying out a risk assessment of any identified materials.
• Putting a plan in place that details how the risks will be managed, and taking action on that plan.
• Reviewing and monitoring the plan and action steps, ensuring everything stays appropriate and up to date.
• Furnishing anyone contracted to work on, or who may disturb the ACMs, with details of their location and condition.

Dutyholders of commercial premises are required to protect anyone using or working in them from the risks to health caused by asbestos exposure.

Other provisions set out within the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 which were carried over from the 2006 regulations include:

• If existing ACMs are in good condition and unlikely to be damaged, they may be left in place. However, their condition will need to be monitored and managed, and steps taken to make sure they are not disturbed.
• Should you wish to undertake any construction or maintenance work on premises, plant or equipment that may contain asbestos, then you will need to ascertain where it is, and its type and condition. You will then need to undertake a risk assessment, and take steps to manage and control any risks identified.
• The control limit for asbestos is 0.1 asbestos fibres per cubic metre of air, averaged over a four hour period. The control limit is not considered ‘safe’, and it is essential that exposure from work activities involving asbestos is reduced to as far below the control limit as possible.
• Training is a regulatory requirement for anyone who will be exposed to asbestos fibres at work, such as maintenance workers and any contractors who may come into contact with or disturb asbestos, as well as those involved in asbestos removal.
• Most higher-risk work with asbestos requires the engagement of a licensed asbestos contractor. Such work may include most asbestos removal; work with sprayed asbestos coatings; any work which may disturb pipe lagging; work involving loose fill insulation; work on asbestos insulating board and, in some situations, the cleaning up of large quantities of loose or fine debris containing ACM dust.
• Where the risk assessment cannot confirm that the control limit will not be exceeded, or where the work is not short duration work, a licensed contractor will be required to undertake the work.
• Any decision on whether a particular activity is licensable or not will ultimately be based on the risk it poses, which will be identified via the risk assessment.

When the regulations changed in 2012, it became necessary for some non-licensed asbestos work to be notified to the relevant enforcing authority.

Such work may involve the removal of asbestos cement products where the material will be considerably damaged or broken up; large-scale removal of textured decorative coatings beyond that required for regular maintenance activities; minor, short duration work to remove asbestos insulating board during refurbishment, and minor short duration work involving asbestos insulation.

Enforcing authorities could be a local authority, the Health and Safety Executive, or the Office of Rail and Road as applicable.

Non-licensed asbestos work still calls for effective controls, and brief written records should be kept of it, including a copy of the notification, a list of workers involved, and the likely level of exposure of those workers to asbestos.

You can learn more about the different types of licensable and non-licensable asbestos work on the HSE website.

What is the problem with asbestos?

The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 aim to protect those who may be inadvertently exposed to asbestos fibres during their everyday work.

Asbestos fibres are microscopic, making them impossible to see with the naked eye. When these fibres are inhaled, they can cause serious diseases, such as asbestosis, mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer and pleural thickening. These are all diseases that do not produce instant symptoms. In fact, they can take many years to develop. However, once diagnosed, it is often too late to cure them.

When was asbestos banned in the UK?

Blue and brown asbestos were banned in the UK in 1985. Then, in 1999, a ban on white asbestos followed suit.

The problem is that asbestos can still be present in any building that was constructed or refurbished before the year 2000. And because it is invisible and unscented, unless you are a licensed asbestos contractor, you will never be able to identify it yourself.

How to confirm the presence of asbestos?

If you suspect that asbestos may be present in your building, or rather if you cannot be sure that it isn’t, the only way to confirm as such is through an asbestos survey.

This involves samples being taken from the suspected areas which are then sent off for laboratory analysis. The tests will confirm the presence and type of asbestos, and the level of risk it is currently posing, and could pose in the future.

Once everything has been confirmed, your licensed asbestos specialist will advise you on what to do next.

It is important to be aware that just because a property contains asbestos, it doesn’t mean it will be need to be removed. In some cases, it can be measured and monitored so that levels are kept safe.

There are three main types of asbestos survey.

An asbestos management survey will confirm the presence of any asbestos, whether it is dangerous, and its potential for causing health complications.

Asbestos re-inspection surveys are carried out on properties where asbestos was previously detected. It will always be the dutyholder’s responsibility to keep a handle on the problem, so arranging a re-inspection once or twice annually will help you make sure your property stays safe, and compliant with the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012.

Refurbishment and demolition surveys are needed where there are plans to demolish a property and rebuild, or where there is a complete shell-upwards refurbishment. These comprehensive surveys look for signs of asbestos throughout the building, and are usually intrusive in nature.

Licensed asbestos removal and surveys from Advance Asbestos Removal

Ensuring compliance with the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 is a legal requirement for all owners or managers of non-domestic buildings in the UK.

Whether you are already aware that your property contains asbestos and are looking for a professionally compiled asbestos management plan, you are seeking asbestos testing services to confirm whether asbestos is present, or you wish to arrange asbestos removal, Advance Asbestos Removal is ready to assist.

If you’re based in Ascot & Sunningdale, our local licensed surveyors and removal team can help — see our Ascot & Sunningdale asbestos removal service for details.

We guarantee a professional service with minimal disruption and complete legal compliance. To learn more about our service, or to request your free, no-obligation quotation, please contact us today.