Is Online Asbestos Awareness Training Enough for Construction Workers?

Understanding HSE Guidance and UKATA Recommendations

Many construction employers now use online asbestos awareness training as part of their health and safety arrangements. Online learning can be a convenient and cost-effective way of delivering awareness training across a workforce.

However, when reviewing asbestos awareness arrangements, it is worth understanding the difference between what is legally acceptable and what industry bodies recommend as best practice.

What Does the HSE Say?

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) makes it clear that asbestos awareness training is required for anyone whose work could foreseeably disturb asbestos-containing materials (ACMs).

This includes many occupations commonly found within construction, maintenance, refurbishment, and related trades.

The HSE also states that there is no legal requirement for employees to repeat a formal asbestos awareness course every 12 months. Instead, refresher information should be provided where necessary to ensure workers remain aware of the risks and know how to avoid accidental disturbance of asbestos.

Importantly, refresher awareness training may be delivered through various methods, including e-learning, toolbox talks, health and safety updates, or other suitable refresher activities.

What Is UKATA’s Position?

Whilst recognising the HSE’s guidance on refresher training, UKATA takes the view that asbestos awareness training is most effectively delivered through face-to-face classroom training.

UKATA specifically states that:

• Asbestos Awareness should ideally be delivered through face-to-face classroom training.
• E-learning is best suited for refresher training when used alongside previous face-to-face training.
• Workers in trades identified by the HSE as being at greater risk of encountering asbestos gain significantly more benefit from face-to-face training.

UKATA’s recommended training programme alternates classroom-based awareness training with refresher training, allowing refresher training to be delivered either face-to-face or via e-learning between classroom sessions.

Which Occupations Are Considered Higher Risk?

The HSE identifies a number of occupations that are more likely to encounter asbestos during their work activities.

Examples include:

• Electricians
• Plumbers
• Gas engineers
• Joiners and carpenters
• Plasterers
• Painters and decorators
• Roofers
• Demolition workers
• Maintenance operatives
• Heating and ventilation engineers
• Telecommunications engineers
• Fire and security system installers
• Building surveyors and related professionals

These are all occupations where employees may disturb the fabric of buildings during installation, maintenance, refurbishment, or repair activities.

Legal Compliance vs Best Practice

For many employers, the key consideration is not simply whether training is legally compliant, but whether it provides workers with the best opportunity to recognise asbestos risks before exposure occurs.

Online learning can play an important role, particularly for refresher training. However, classroom-based training provides opportunities for:

• Discussion of real workplace scenarios
• Questions and answers with an experienced tutor
• Review of site-specific risks
• Sharing of practical experiences and lessons learned
• Greater engagement with the subject matter

This is particularly valuable for workers who regularly undertake maintenance, refurbishment, installation, or repair activities in buildings that may contain asbestos.

Questions Employers May Wish to Consider

Rather than asking whether online awareness training is acceptable, employers may wish to consider:

• How frequently do our employees work in buildings constructed before 2000?
• Are they likely to drill, cut, remove, install, maintain, or disturb building materials?
• Do they regularly encounter hidden voids, service routes, ceiling spaces, risers, or plant rooms?
• Would additional interaction and discussion improve understanding of asbestos risks?
• Does our current training approach reflect industry best practice for the work our teams undertake?

A Balanced Approach

Many employers choose a blended approach, combining periodic face-to-face training with online asbestos awareness refresher training in intervening years.

This aligns closely with UKATA’s recommendations and helps ensure that workers who are most likely to encounter asbestos receive regular, meaningful reinforcement of the risks associated with asbestos-containing materials.

Ultimately, every employer must determine what is appropriate for their workforce. However, where employees work in occupations identified by the HSE as being at greater risk of asbestos exposure, it may be worthwhile reviewing whether online awareness training alone provides the most effective solution.

Further Reading

HSE Asbestos Training Guidance:
https://www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/training.htm