Common questions builders ask about asbestos awareness and compliance.
Do I need asbestos awareness training?
Yes. Under Regulation 10 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, every employer must ensure that anyone who is liable to be exposed to asbestos during their work receives adequate information, instruction, and training. In practice, this means that every builder, tradesperson, and labourer who works on buildings built or refurbished before 2000 needs asbestos awareness training. This is not limited to people who work with asbestos directly — it covers anyone who might accidentally disturb it. The training must cover the properties of asbestos, its health effects, where it is likely to be found in buildings, how to avoid disturbing it, and what to do if you come across it. Asbestos awareness training is widely available online and typically takes half a day. Many CITB-affiliated training providers offer it, and it is often included as part of the CSCS Health, Safety and Environment test preparation. The training should be refreshed regularly — the HSE recommends annual refresher training as a minimum. If you employ anyone, you are legally responsible for making sure they have had this training before they start work on any pre-2000 building. Even if you are a sole trader, completing the training protects you and demonstrates to clients and the HSE that you take your legal obligations seriously.
Can I remove asbestos myself?
It depends on the type of asbestos and the type of work. There are three categories of asbestos work under UK law. Licensed work covers the most dangerous types — sprayed coatings, lagging on pipes and boilers, and asbestos insulating board in poor condition. This work must be carried out by a contractor licensed by the HSE, and it requires notification to the HSE at least 14 days before work starts. Notifiable non-licensed work (NNLW) covers some lower-risk tasks such as removing asbestos cement sheets, textured coatings, or certain floor tiles. You do not need an HSE licence for this work, but you must notify the HSE using ASB5, carry out a risk assessment, have appropriate training beyond basic awareness, use the correct PPE and RPE, and follow specific procedures for containment and waste disposal. Non-licensed work covers very short-duration, low-risk tasks where fibre release is minimal, such as removing a single asbestos cement sheet that is in good condition. Even for this category, you still need asbestos awareness training and must follow safe working practices. The critical point is that you cannot determine which category applies without knowing what type of asbestos you are dealing with and what condition it is in. That requires a survey by a competent person and, in many cases, laboratory analysis. Never assume a material is safe to remove yourself. If in doubt, treat it as licensed work and call a specialist.
How do I know if a material contains asbestos?
You cannot tell whether a material contains asbestos just by looking at it. Asbestos fibres are microscopic, and asbestos was mixed into hundreds of different building products between the 1950s and 1999. Textured ceiling coatings can look identical whether they contain asbestos or not. The same is true for floor tiles, cement sheets, insulation boards, and virtually every other material that might contain asbestos. The only reliable way to confirm whether a material contains asbestos is to have a sample analysed by a UKAS-accredited laboratory. A competent surveyor will take samples during an asbestos survey and send them for analysis. The laboratory uses polarised light microscopy or other techniques to identify the presence and type of asbestos fibres. Results typically come back within a few days. As a general rule of thumb, if a building was built or significantly refurbished before the year 2000, you should assume that asbestos-containing materials may be present until a survey proves otherwise. Do not rely on the age of the building alone — asbestos materials were sometimes installed during later refurbishment work even in relatively modern buildings. The cost of having a sample tested is typically between twenty and fifty pounds per sample, which is a small price compared to the consequences of disturbing asbestos unknowingly.
What is the difference between a management survey and a refurbishment survey?
A management survey is the standard survey that should be carried out on any building likely to contain asbestos-containing materials. Its purpose is to locate ACMs that could be disturbed during normal occupation, routine maintenance, or minor works. The surveyor will inspect accessible areas and take samples where they suspect ACMs may be present, but they will not rip open walls, lift floors, or cause significant damage to the building fabric. A management survey tells you what is there and what condition it is in, so the building owner can create a management plan. A refurbishment or demolition survey, by contrast, is fully intrusive. The surveyor needs access to every part of the building that will be affected by the planned work, including behind walls, above ceilings, beneath floors, and inside ducts. This survey is required before any refurbishment or demolition work begins on a building that was built or refurbished before 2000. It must be carried out in the specific area where the work will take place, and the area should be vacated and made safe before the survey begins because the surveyor will need to cause damage to access hidden areas. The key distinction is purpose and scope. A management survey is for ongoing building management. A refurbishment survey is for planned construction work. If you are a builder about to start a refurbishment project on a pre-2000 building, you need a refurbishment survey for the areas you will be working in — a management survey alone is not sufficient.
What happens if I disturb asbestos accidentally?
If you accidentally disturb material that you suspect contains asbestos, stop work immediately. Do not try to clean it up, sweep it, or continue with the task. Move yourself and anyone else away from the area and prevent other people from entering. If the material has been broken, drilled, sanded, or otherwise damaged, fibres may have been released into the air. Keep the area sealed off and do not allow anyone to re-enter without appropriate protection. Report the incident to the site manager, the client, and your employer if applicable. Under RIDDOR, the accidental release of asbestos is a dangerous occurrence that must be reported to the HSE. Contact a licensed asbestos removal contractor to assess the situation and carry out any necessary decontamination. The area may need to be enclosed, air monitoring may be required, and any contaminated materials, clothing, or equipment will need to be disposed of as asbestos waste. Do not try to handle any of this yourself unless you hold the appropriate licence and training. Anyone who was in the area when the disturbance occurred should make a note of the date, duration of potential exposure, and the type of work they were doing. This information should be kept on their medical records. A single brief exposure to asbestos does not mean you will develop an asbestos-related disease, but it is important to have the incident properly recorded. The Health and Safety Executive takes accidental asbestos disturbance seriously, and failing to report it or attempting to cover it up can result in prosecution.