Asbestos Awareness E-learning

It is your employers responsibility to ensure that any employee who may come into contact or disturb asbestos carrying out their normal daily work tasks have been given the correct level of training. Enabling employees to have the knowledge to ensure that they can work safely and competently without risk to themselves or others working around them.

There are three main levels of information, instruction and training.

• Asbestos awareness
• Non-licensable work with asbestos including NNLW
• Licensable work with asbestos.

Asbestos Awareness

Asbestos Awareness Training can be provided in a number of forms but the most common and easiest form is to provide employees with access to Asbestos Awareness E-learning. The training is intended  to provide the employees with the the information you need to avoid work that may disturb asbestos during any normal work which could disturb the fabric of a building, or other item which might contain asbestos. The training is not intended for anyone who will be involved in the removal of Asbestos.

Asbestos Awareness E-learning should cover the following:

• how to avoid the risk of exposure to asbestos
• the effects of asbestos on health and its properties, including the increased risk of developing lung cancer for asbestos workers who smoke
• asbestos materials in buildings and plant, the types, uses and likely hood of it being present
• the general procedures to deal with an emergency, eg. an uncontrolled release of asbestos dust into the workplace

We can provide access to an Asbestos Awareness E-learning course for any employers looking to ensure their employees are covered.

All other levels of asbestos and the information and training needed can be found on the HSE website.

Share this post

Copy link

Mesothelioma -Do You Know Enough About this Deadly Disease?

Asbestos contains tiny fibres which are too small for the eye to see, yet they can do great damage to the lungs if breathed in. Mesothelioma is a cancer of the lining of the lung and is just one of the diseases associated with the material. The latency period for symptoms of the disease can be long – often 10 or more years – and there is currently no cure.

5 Key Points for Managing Asbestos

1. Asbestos could be present in any building either built or refurbished before the year 2000. Check building and renovation plans if you are unsure, as well as any asbestos surveys undertaken. Ceiling and floor tiles, older boilers, lagging and asbestos cement are often key areas to look at.
2. The material only poses a significant risk to health if it is accessible and in a poor or damaged condition. It is therefore important that you know what type of asbestos you have and the condition it is in.
3. Those most at risk are people who work on the fabric of the building – carpenters, plumbers, electricians and builders, for example, as well as any maintenance staff on site. There is therefore a duty to tell those who may be on your premises about any asbestos in the building before they undertake work. You should do this before they carry out a risk assessment/method statement so that all risks and control measures are factored in.
4. Some work with asbestos – either removing it or working with it – may require a licensed asbestos contractor. Check that any contractors you use have the correct licence to do the work.
5. Making others aware of the existence of asbestos is vital. As a visual prompt, label your asbestos with industry-recognised stickers so that it is clear that asbestos is in the vicinity should anyone be undertaking work in the area.

Asbestos is a killer and any amount of exposure can be dangerous – preventing exposure is therefore the key to limiting the number who develop asbestos-related diseases. Protect your staff, contractors and visitors so they never have to suffer.

Share this post

Copy link

HSE Asbestos Toolkit

The HSE Asbestos Toolkit is a useful tool to help protect those who might be exposed to asbestos during their work activites. On average 20 tradespeople die from asbestos related diseases every week and asbestos can potentially be found in any house or building built before the year 2000.

The Asbestos toolkit contains several “how-to” guides and should be used by anyone working in areas where asbestos might be present. It will work out if you’re likely to be affected by asbestos when carrying out your work activities and will identify suitable precautions that need to be taken to protect you and your workforce from the dangers of asbestos. Try the tool for yourself by following the link below.

There is also an app available for your mobile or tablet so you can get this important information wherever you are.

http://www.beware-asbestos.info/

Share this post

Copy link

Illegal Asbestos removal

A company has been prosecuted for removing asbestos containing materials (ACM) just weeks after being refused a licence to carry out work of this kind.

While the company had previously held a licence, it had since expired and an application to renew it had been refused due to inadequate performance.

Asbestos Damage Limitations Ltd were fined £15,000 and had to pay £4,000 it court costs after they admitted to breaching the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012.

After the hearing HSE inspector Denis Bodger said:
“The company decided to ignore the fact that its asbestos licence had expired.. Instead it carried on regardless and went ahead with work”

“Non-compliance with asbestos-licensing requirements is not acceptable and HSE will continue to enforce the law to protect both workers and members of the public”

Share this post

Copy link