Regulation 4 of the ‘Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012’ details the duty holder’s responsibilities; this is expanded fully in the HSE’s guides L143 ‘The Management of Asbestos in Non-Domestic Premises’ with additional guidance in HSG 227 ‘A Comprehensive Guide to Managing Asbestos in Premises’. Key facts from this guidance are detailed below
- If the asbestos in your premises isn’t managed, you could be putting your employees and other peoples health at risk
- Exposure to asbestos occurs when it becomes disturbed and releases fibres into the air
- If existing asbestos is in good condition and is unlikely to become damaged, they may be left in place and managed and monitored
- Work on asbestos can require a license but some minor work can be done without a license if the correct precautions are followed
- Regulation 4 is a duty to manage not a duty to survey
- You don’t have to carry out a survey but you have a duty to manage all your asbestos containing materials
- A bad survey is worse than not carrying out a survey
- Management of asbestos is to maintain in good condition all ACM’s to protect two groups of people
– Those who may be instructed to carry out work on the building e.g. plumbers, electricians etc.
– Those that work in the building and may come into contact with the ACM’s whilst carrying out there day-to-day work.
- ACM’s that are damaged or have deteriorated should be removed or repaired, or the area isolated until remedial works are possible
- Your asbestos management plan;
– Is to ensure that contractors and employees don’t disturb your ACM’s
– Can come in many forms, does not need to be complicated, but does need to be effective.