A license to work with Asbestos is required if the project or the material falls into the licensed category. The company undertaking this type of work must hold a license that has been granted by the Health and Safety Executive. Work in this category is usually subject to a 14-day notification to the enforcing authority prior to works being allowed to commence.
Companies that carry out notifiable asbestos work are subject to health surveillance of their employees and must maintain comprehensive records detailing the nature, duration and likely exposures to asbestos. The regulations state that these health records must be kept for a minimum of 40 years.
What levels of competence is there for Asbestos Removal Works?
Asbestos Removal Works fall into three categories:
- Category B Trained Non-Licensed Asbestos Work – Usually does not require notification (dependent upon the project details)
- Category B Trained Notifiable Non-Licensed Asbestos Work – Notification is required to the HSE prior to work commencing
- Category C Notifiable Licensed Asbestos Work – Notification is required to the enforcing authority a minimum of 14 days prior to works commencing. In addition to all of the above and regardless of category, the works will require a risk assessment covering all site risks that may be encountered during the works.
Regardless of the category, the removal contractor must be competent to undertake the work, the employees must hold appropriate training certificates and be able to prove competence for the tasks they are planning to undertake.
They must also hold appropriate and sufficient insurances as well as hold an Asbestos waste carriers license for the tasks they will be undertaking. As a general rule most insurance policies specifically exclude working with asbestos from their cover which can leave both the contractor and you open to litigation if works do not go according to plan.