Asbestos was widely used in UK construction until 2000. If you're responsible for a non-domestic building constructed or refurbished before 2000, you must manage any asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) present. This is a legal duty under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012.
Survey requirements
You cannot manage asbestos until you know where it is, so start by arranging an asbestos survey to identify ACMs in your building. The type of survey depends on whether you're managing ongoing occupation or planning refurbishment or demolition work.
When work requires a licence
Your survey and register tell you which materials need work. If you need to remove or handle asbestos, certain types of work require an HSE asbestos licence. Working without a licence when one is required is a criminal offence.
Work with asbestos insulation board or asbestos insulation and coatings needs a licence once it adds up to more than 2 hours in any 7-day period, counting all workers, or once any one person spends more than 1 hour on it in that period. Track the cumulative time across the rolling 7 days. For licensed work, use an HSE-licensed contractor, send the ASB5 notification to the enforcing authority at least 14 days before work starts, and get a clearance certificate when the work is finished. Unlicensed work that needed a licence can lead to an unlimited fine and up to 2 years' imprisonment. Work below the threshold still needs proper controls, training and equipment.
Refurbishment and demolition projects
If you are a client on a refurbishment or demolition project, the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 add further steps. Make sure a refurbishment and demolition survey is done before construction work begins and give the findings to the designers and principal contractor as pre-construction information. The principal contractor must cover asbestos in the construction phase plan, and areas containing asbestos should be under a permit-to-work system before anything is disturbed. If the project is notifiable, include details of any asbestos work in the F10 notification. After removal, a four-stage clearance (visual inspection, air testing, UKAS laboratory analysis and a certificate) is required, and the final asbestos status goes in the health and safety file.
Legal basis
Primary legislation and key regulations