Asbestos Awareness Training

Asbestos awareness training should be given to employees whose work could foreseeably disturb the fabric of a building and expose them to asbestos or who supervise or influence the work.

233 In particular, it should be given to those workers in the refurbishment, maintenance and allied trades where it is foreseeable that ACMs may become exposed during their work. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Demolition workers;
• Construction workers;
• General maintenance staff;
• Electricians;
• Plumbers;
• Gas fitters;
• Roofers.

• Painters and decorators;
• Joiners;
• Shop fitters;
• Plasterers;
• Architects, building surveyors and other such professionals.

• Heating and ventilation engineers;
• Telecommunication engineers;
• Computer and data installers;
• Fire and burglar alarm installers.

This requirement does not apply where the employer can demonstrate that work will only be carried out in or on premises free of ACMs. This information should be available as a result of the assessment made by the dutyholder under the duty to manage in regulation 4 and the duty on the employer to identify the presence of asbestos in regulation 5.

NAS Ltd’s Asbestos Awareness Training will cover the following topics:

• the properties of asbestos and its effects on health, including the increased risk of lung cancer for asbestos workers who smoke;
• the types, uses and likely occurrence of asbestos and ACMs in buildings and plant;
• the general procedures to be followed to deal with an emergency, eg an uncontrolled release of asbestos dust into the workplace;
• how to avoid the risks from asbestos, eg for building work, no employee should carry out work which disturbs the fabric of a building unless the employer has confirmed that ACMs are not present.

236 Asbestos awareness will not prepare employees or self-employed contractors to carry out work with ACMs. Awareness training is only intended to help employees avoid carrying out work that will disturb asbestos or ACMs.