As we have been reiterating in the last few articles, there are some occasions where anyone working on asbestos materials will need to show that they have been granted a license from the HSE.

Not all work requires this authorisation, but there are certain types of asbestos that requires that anyone wishing to work on this project to go through the licensing application process.

There are many procedures and requirements in place for those that undertake licensed work, with contractors expected to be under constant medical surveillance.

These employers also need to ensure that they hold health records of their employees, with details kept for 40 years following the last dated entry. Any person working for a contractor that is exposed to asbestos will have an entry in this record noting the time, date and duration of asbestos exposure, as well as the levels and type of asbestos they were exposed to.

It must be stressed however that asbestos removal specialists have strict guidelines in place for all their workers to ensure that any risk is kept to a minimum. With the latest breathing equipment and work gear, they can work in these situations and be protected from the asbestos they are working on.

When a contractor takes on a job to remove asbestos from a building, they always need to assess the situation first, with the planning and preparing of the work area a key part of the process.

A recent project in Shepherds Bush, London has shown how one company managed to carry out work on asbestos-containing materials from high rise residential properties which were occupied.

It took the teams six months to complete the project and remove the asbestos wall panels, duct cladding and insulation board which were found to be prevalent throughout the tower blocks on the site.

Within the kitchen and hallways, they discovered asbestos panelling and cladding, so the contractor had to arrange for residents to make other plans for the day while they constructed tented enclosures around the area. The routine of asbestos removal was carried out very carefully with the site being cleared on a daily basis, so that when the occupants returned, they could come back to a safe environment.

There were many challenges with this project due to the fact residents were occupying the buildings and so the teams had to take care not to damage personal property. This is just one type of case that an asbestos removal specialist might take on.

Although it is true that not all work that involves asbestos materials requires you to hold a license, if particular asbestos products are involved then a contractor that has been issued with a license from the Health and Safety Executive will need to be found.

There are many contractors to be found up and down the country so you will be able to find a reputable asbestos removal specialist that has continued to update its license with the HSE (every one to three years). By this, you can rest assured that their provision is constantly being reviewed and the performance is always monitored by the licensing body.

If you are unsure as to whether a contractor is necessary for a particular job, then you should take care in determining the situation. You might find it useful that the professionals conduct asbestos surveys on the premises to assess the location and type of asbestos.

Any work which involves sprayed asbestos coatings, lagging, insulation board usually means that a licensed contractor will have to be brought in to carry out this project. This is due to the hazardous nature of the materials involved and the higher level of risk to people working in this environment.

If you are the owner of a company or have duties which come under the terms of current asbestos legislation, you really need to consider those using your building that might be at risk from becoming exposed to asbestos.

The following information is worth reading as it lets you know where you stand on these issues.

Following the introduction of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006, the supply, importation and use of all kinds of asbestos materials is not completely prohibited by law.

The regulations also state that those who are in charge of non-domestic premises have a duty to manage their site and therefore have a responsibility to protect those working in such an environment, as well as those that have to make use of the building.

What this means is that employers have a duty to ensure all measures are taken regarding the risks to a person’s health following asbestos exposure.

In most cases, those who work with asbestos will first need to obtain a license which they will need to get from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). For non-licensed work, it is still essential you find out more about this as these regulations are being enforced by various organisations.

Many of the products that have been found to contain asbestos are only allowed to be removed by a licensed contractor that has authorisation from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to do so.

These are usually high risk asbestos-containing materials and there are certain guidelines set out about who is given permission to work on or around these products.

It is worth checking out the sort of job you will be working on to see about this, but if you have any asbestos waste to dispose of from a job you were able to carry out yourself there is a right way to go about this.

For a start, it is necessary to double-bag the asbestos and place a label on it stating that the bag contains asbestos waste. Once you have done this it is necessary to get in touch with your local authority or the Environment Agency to find out what their procedure is for the disposal of these waste products. They may be able to provide assistance in dealing with it, although this service sometimes incurs a charge.

Whatever you decide to do, you need to remember that asbestos needs to be taken to a licensed waste facility.

As we have been reiterating, there are certain things which can increase or decrease the risk of catching a disease from asbestos-containing materials. So far we have only considered tradespeople working in buildings they haven’t been before and was constructed prior to 2000.

Other factors relating to this include:

• Before the job began the presence of asbestos products was not highlighted to you
• The asbestos was in fact identified by a survey but this discovery was not passed on to the dutyholder or anyone who could do something about it
• A person not being able to assess a situation and their safety where asbestos is present in the work area
• Working safely where asbestos is found is not an issue but you fail to follow the right precautions – this may be to finish the job quicker or due to nobody else bothering to follow protocol either.

It is important to remember that asbestos will not usually pose a risk to you if it is not already damaged or if it is hidden away and is not likely to be disturbed by anyone. Just make sure that the fibres are not breathed in.

By now most people have heard about asbestos posing a danger to a person’s health which is why there has been such widespread anger in this country at how asbestos-containing materials continued to be used without people knowing the full facts relating to asbestos causing diseases.

With many illnesses caused by asbestos taking a number of years to fully develop, it is always going to be advisable not to put yourself in danger in the first place – but when are we going to be most at risk?

The answer to this question is not straightforward as someone using a building where asbestos products are present may be perfectly OK, while others won’t be. It all depends on whether the asbestos has been damaged or not and if its fibres have been released into the atmosphere, plus how much of it you breath in.

However, we will now look at some situations that can put a person in greater danger from asbestos-containing products.

For a start, if you are a tradesperson and have to go and do a job on a site unfamiliar to you, this may increase the risk factor somewhat. In the next article we will look a bit further into this.

Many people when they hear about the risks associated with asbestos simply dismiss the possibility of anything happening to them personally as they feel they know the places where they work very well.

While this confidence may be quite well founded, it is still worth finding out about the occupations most at risk and more likely to come into contact with materials containing asbestos.

For those that work in any of the following 10 types of employment and have to carry out jobs in buildings constructed or renovated prior to 2000, you need to think again about the places where you work:

• Joiners and carpenters
• Roofing contractors
• Construction workers
• Heating engineers
• Those in the plumbing / gas fitting trades
• Building surveyors
• Plasterers
• Painters / decorators
• Computer installers
• Electricians

There are more occupations than the ones listed above where a worker might find themselves at risk from the dangers posed by damaged asbestos in the air, but this selection should give you an idea of the sorts of people that need to think carefully about what they do during their working hours. It is worth finding out more about where in a building the asbestos is likely to be found too.