No products in the basket.
In reality, asbestos awareness training is designed to help workers recognise asbestos risks and avoid disturbing asbestos-containing materials (ACMs). It does not train individuals to intentionally work on, remove, repair, disturb or manage asbestos-containing materials.
The HSE states that asbestos awareness training is intended to help workers avoid carrying out work that could disturb asbestos. Where work activities are likely to disturb asbestos-containing materials, additional training may be required depending on the nature of the work being undertaken.
This is particularly relevant for maintenance, refurbishment and repair activities where workers may:
In many cases, workers who currently hold only asbestos awareness training may actually require training for Non-Licensed Asbestos Work (Category B) depending on the activities they undertake.
Another common assumption is that an asbestos register removes the need for further asbestos competence.
Whilst asbestos registers are an essential control measure, they should not be relied upon as the sole means of protection.
Registers are only as accurate as the information available at the time of survey and can become outdated due to:
Even where a register exists, workers still need sufficient knowledge and competence to recognise potential asbestos risks, understand the limitations of asbestos surveys and know how to respond if suspect materials are encountered.
The reality is that many asbestos incidents occur during routine maintenance and refurbishment activities where workers believed the area was clear of asbestos.
If you are unsure whether asbestos awareness training alone remains appropriate for your workforce, we have created a simple self-assessment guide to help employers review the activities their workers undertake and determine whether additional asbestos training may be appropriate.
Many employers are surprised to discover that activities carried out routinely by maintenance teams, tradespeople and refurbishment operatives may fall beyond the scope of asbestos awareness training alone.
Read the self-assessment guide here:
The guide is designed to help employers review their current arrangements and consider whether their workforce would benefit from additional asbestos competence training, including Non-Licensed Asbestos Work training where appropriate.