The Asbestos Awareness course is for all workers including Managers, supervisors and operatives who are based on site, and who may have the potential of coming into contact with Asbestos in the workplace, it will cover the dangers of asbestos and where the Asbestos Containing Materials (ACM) can be found, in line with regulatory requirements laid out in Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012.
Workforce Skills Support is an approved IATP Asbestos training provider for Cat A training.
Why Should you train for Asbestos Awareness?
By law, each employer must ensure that their employees receive the right level of information, instruction and training if it is likely that they will come into contact with asbestos during their work. They are required to ensure that all employees are safe and confident when working in close proximity to asbestos so as to not run the risk of endangering themselves or others.
Asbestos is a generic term given to a group of 6 naturally occurring silicate minerals, basically, a stone, that has been historically extracted via mining and used extensively and predominantly in construction and manufacturing due to their varied properties.
Every week 20 tradesmen die from asbestos-related diseases. If you carry out work on a building that was built or refurbished before the year 2000, you could have been exposed to asbestos, without even knowing it.
What are the common types of asbestos found in asbestos awareness?
The three common types of asbestos are crocidolite, amosite and chrysotile; although other forms can be found in premises – fibrous actinolite, fibrous anthophyllite and fibrous tremolite.
Crocidolite, amosite and chrysotile are also known as blue, brown and white asbestos, although the colour is not always significant in identification.
Occasionally in publications, there is a reference to the mineral groups to which asbestos belongs. Chrysotile belongs to the serpentine group (like fine threads of cotton) while the five other types listed above belong to the amphibole group (like fine needles).
Will this course give an employee full competency?
The short answer is no. This course aims to provide basic knowledge and to reduce the risk of any incidents. Further competence and availability are learned over time and accessed via instructions and assessments. It will through question and answer and a timed invigilated, a closed book is written examination to ensure that a learner has reached the necessary level of understanding. It is recommended. There is no legal requirement to repeat an entire formal awareness refresher training course every 12 months. However, some form of a refresher should be given, as necessary, to help ensure knowledge of asbestos awareness is maintained.
Who is Asbestos Awareness Suitable For?
The content of this course is designed to provide anyone whose work could foreseeably expose them to asbestos with sufficient knowledge to avoid putting themselves or others at risk, in line with regulatory requirements laid out in Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012.
The sorts of trades which are affected include:
- Construction Workers
- Plasterers
- Shop Fitters
- Roofers
- Gas Fitters
- Demolition Workers
- Electricians
- And many more.