The presence of asbestos alone should not be a cause for concern. Asbestos only becomes a risk to human health when it is released into the air and breathed in. Every employer must make sure that anyone who is liable to disturb asbestos during their normal work, or who supervises those employees, gets the correct level of information, instruction and training so that they can work safely and competently without risk to themselves or others. What type of information, instruction and training is necessary? In public buildings, such as hospitals, schools and similar premises, the identity of the dutyholder will depend on how the responsibility for maintenance of the premises is allocated. For example, for most schools, the dutyholder will be the employer. Who the employer is varies with the type of school. For local authority managed schools, eg community schools and voluntary-controlled schools, the employer is the local authority. For voluntary-aided and foundation schools, it will be the school governors, and for academy and Free Schools, the academy trust will be the employer. For independent and fee-paying schools, it may be the proprietor, governors or trustees. Budgets for repair and maintenance of school buildings are sometimes delegated to schools by a local authority. In such cases, the duty to manage asbestos is shared between schools and the local authority. Tenancy arrangements and how responsibilities may be allocated or shared Responsibility for premises Common parts, eg foyer, lift, stairs, circulation areas, boiler room, store rooms, roof space, external outbuilding. Clarification on the requirements for information, instruction and training including the position on certification and refresher training

don't remove asbestos unnecessarily - removing it can be more dangerous than leaving it in place and managing it Interactive training courses and educational material, to help you get the most from NBS software tools

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Online learning (often referred to as e–learning) is increasingly used as a method of providing asbestos awareness training. HSE recognises the use of e-learning as a viable delivery method, among others, for asbestos awareness training, provided it satisfies the requirements of Regulation 10 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 and the supporting Approved Code of Practice L143 'Managing and working with asbestos'.

A4. Removing a single asbestos insulating board (AIB) panel less than 1m 2, fixed in with nails or screws The Regulations came into force on 6 April 2012, updating and replacing the previous 2006 law. They contain new requirements for certain types of non-licensable work with asbestos on notification of work; designating areas where you are working on asbestos; medical surveillance and record keeping. Asbestos may be present in any house or building built before the year 2000 as it was widely used in a variety of building materials. The removal of higher risk asbestos-containing materials (sprayed asbestos coatings, asbestos insulation, asbestos lagging and most work involving asbestos insulating board (AIB) should only be carried out by a licensed contractor. Asbestos is widespread in the environment. It may enter the atmosphere due to the natural weathering of asbestos-containing ores or damage and breakdown of asbestos-containing products including insulation, car brakes and clutches, ceiling and floor tiles and cement. Exposure to asbestos

A step by step guide to the duty to manage asbestos

HSG137: Health risk management: A practical guide for managers in small and medium-sized enterprises know what work can be carried out on asbestos-containing materials, ie does this work need to be carried out by a licensed contractor The control limit refers to the concentration of asbestos fibres in any localised atmosphere, measured and averaged over a continuous period of four hours, in accordance with the 1997 World Health Organisation's recommended method. At the moment, the control limit is 0.1 asbestos fibres per cubic centimetre of air (0.1 f/cm3). The control limit is not a 'safe' level and work activities involving asbestos should be designed to be as far below the control limit as possible. HSE has progressively tightened the control limit since 1987. A record of the information, instruction and training received by each individual should be kept to: Refresher information, instruction and training for licensable and non-licensable work should be provided every year, or more frequently if: