Asbestos Services
Introduction
Asbestos has been the main cause of occupational ill health since 1950 onwards and is still the greatest single work-related cause of death from ill health.
Past exposure is now responsible for about 4000 people dying from asbestos related cancers every year. This figure is expected to rise over the next ten years.
Asbestos was extensively used as a building material in the UK from the 1950s through to the mid-1980s. It was used for a variety of purposes and was ideal for fireproofing and insulation. Any building built before 2000 can contain asbestos.
Legal Requirements
Asbestos is subject to a specific set of regulations, the Control of Asbestos Regulations (CAR) 2006. These regulations cover work with asbestos, prohibitions on the importation, supply and use of asbestos, and licensing of asbestos-removal activities.
Regulation 4 of CAR 2006 contains an explicit duty on the owners and occupiers of non-domestic premises, who have maintenance and repair responsibilities, to assess and manage the risks from the presence of asbestos.
The risks will vary with circumstances and can arise from normal occupation of a building or from inadvertent disturbance during the repair, refurbishment and demolition of premises. The risk assessment will be used to produce a management plan which details and records what actions to take to manage and reduce the risks from asbestos.
The requirements are placed on ‘dutyholders’, who should:
- take reasonable steps to determine the location of materials likely to contain asbestos;
- presume materials to contain asbestos, unless there are good reasons not to do so;
- make and maintain a written record of the location of the ACMs and presumed ACMs;
- assess and monitor the condition of ACMs and presumed ACMs;
- assess the risk of exposure from ACMs and presumed ACMs and prepare a written plan of the actions and measures necessary to manage the risk (i.e. the ‘management plan’); and
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take steps to see that these actions are carried out.
