The duty to manage asbestos is contained in regulation 4 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012.
There is an assumption under the regulations that all commercial premises built prior to the year 2000 contain asbestos, under this assumption it is required that the duty holder has a register of any ACM's (asbestos containing materials) that could be disturbed during day to day activities.
It is directed at those who manage non-domestic (i.e commercial) premises: the people with responsibility for protecting others who work in, or use such premises, from the risks to ill health that exposure to asbestos causes. Aside from the commonly know instances of asbestos thermal insulation on pipework and corrugated cement sheets commonly found on older garage roofs asbestos was found in over 3000 commonly used building products, materials and household items. Floor tiles, adhesives, older toilet cisterns, artex and decorative, textured coatings, boxing panels, gaskets to name but a few. These are all commonly found in both domestic and commercial premises built or refurbished between the 1960's right through to the mid 1980's, with some only becoming outlawed in the year 2000.
So the question is, do you have a register in place?
The simplest way to create 'the register' is to instruct an asbestos survey of the premises, from this the company carrying out the survey can form the register and required paperwork to ensure you are compliant. Once created an annual re-inspection or condition check survey is all that is required to ensure you remain compliant.
Further info can be found on the HSE's website here
Read here how we can help you to become and remain compliant.
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