Asbestos surveys

In addition to the general training requirements for any employee, set out in the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, regulation 10 of CAR 2012 requires every employer to ensure that adequate information, instruction and training is given to employees who:

• are liable to be exposed to asbestos, and to their supervisors; and
• carry out work in connection with the employer's duties under these regulations so that they can carry out that work effectively.

The ACOP provides a full and detailed list of these training requirements.

There are 3 main types of information, instruction and training, namely:

• Awareness training: for those who are liable to be exposed to asbestos while carrying out their normal everyday work, for example, maintenance staff; electricians; demolition and construction workers; installers of computers, fire or burglar alarms and 'construction professionals'.
• Training for non-licensable asbestos work: for work such as a roofer removing a whole asbestos cement sheet in good condition.
• Training for licensable asbestos work: for work such as removing asbestos lagging or asbestos insulating board.

The topics the training should cover are listed and should be given in appropriate detail by both written and oral presentation and by demonstration (as necessary).

In particular, training is to be in a manner appropriate to the nature and degree of exposure identified by the employer's risk assessment giving the significant findings of the assessment and the results of any air monitoring carried out, together with an explanation of the findings.

Training should be given by a competent person and the procedures for providing the information, instruction and training should be clearly defined and documented, and reviewed regularly, particularly when work methods change.

Records should be kept of the training undertaken by each individual. For licensable work copies should be given to each individual.

Refresher training should be given at least every year and more frequently if the work methods, equipment used or type of work changes.

Where non-employees are on the employer's premises, they should also be given adequate information, instruction and training as far as is reasonably practicable.