Managing and Working with Asbestos
The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012
The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 came into force on 6 April 2012, updating previous asbestos regulations to take account of the European Commission's view that the UK had not fully implemented the EU Directive on exposure to asbestos (Directive 2009/148/EC).
In practice the changes are fairly limited. They mean that some types of non-licensed work with asbestos now have additional requirements, i.e. notification of work, medical surveillance and record keeping. All other requirements remain unchanged.
The Control of Asbestos Regulations prohibit the importation, supply and use of all forms of asbestos. They continue the ban introduced for blue and brown asbestos in 1985 and for white asbestos in 1999.
The duty to manage
The duty to manage is directed at those who manage non-domestic premises: the people with responsibility for protecting others who work in such premises, or use them in other ways, from the risks to ill health that exposure to asbestos causes.
Licensing
Under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006, in the vast majority of cases if you are working with asbestos you will need to hold a licence.
Asbestos essentials
A comprehensive selection of essential information for non-licensed work with asbestos.
Enforcement
Asbestos regulations are enforced by the Field Operations Directorate (FOD), Hazardous Installations Directorate (HID) and also Offshore Division (OSD).