Asbestos Awareness Training

Asbestos is one of the most dangerous building materials ever produced. Thousands of people fall ill and die, from mesothelioma and asbestosis, every year because of exposure to this material. Unfortunately, until relatively recently, asbestos containing materials were widely used across the construction industry – everything from schools, factories and hospitals to shops, offices, and even housing. This asbestos awareness training course is designed for anyone who may come into contact with a specialist in their work.

Despite knowledge of the dangers, including the fatal condition of mesothelioma, parts of the construction industry used it right up until the year 1999.

Asbestos awareness training is a requirement for anyone who comes into contact with it in their day to day work and is a legal requirement, under Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012

In scientific terms. it is a naturally occurring fibrous metal silicate. That means it’s a natural fibre found in rock that is mined from the earth like coal or diamonds. You find it in veins running through a rock face. It’s created through heat changes or pressure within the rock, which creates the characteristic crystalline fibrous structure that we call asbestos.

If you add it to other products, it significantly increases their strength and at the same time makes them virtually indestructible. That’s why this material was so popular, particularly for applications involving heat protection, corrosion resistance and soundproofing. It seemed like the perfect product but what nobody realised at the time was that the same characteristics that made asbestos such a strong, versatile product also made it a killer.

The two main illnesses caused by exposure to it are mesothelioma and asbestosis. Both are caused by breathing in asbestos fibres. They are microscopic, a small fraction of the diameter of a human hair. It’s impossible to see them in the air around you and a single breath can contain tens of thousands of microscopic fibres

• Mesothelioma is an incurable cancer that affects the victims mesothelium – which is the lining of areas withing the body.
• Asbestosis is a type of pulmonary fibrosis. Due to the alveoli becoming premantently scarred, the lung tissue thickens and stiffens over time.

The course explains how risks can be avoided and looks at what situations should alert you to the potential of its presence as it is often hard to spot. There are risks from touching or swallowing asbestos, but the main risk is from inhaling it. Jobs that disturb asbestos containing materials like sawing, scraping, drilling or hammering at the most dangerous.

You will learn about the obligations of duty holders for commercial building in relation to their responsiblity for maintaining an asbestos management plan. This document is meant to enable people to work safely in a building without being exposed to asbestos. Despite the material being banned since 1999, due to how widespread its application, mesothelioma and other related diseases remain a significant problem in the UK

By the end of the course, you will understand what makes up two different types of surveys commonly used that are included in an asbestos management plans. The first type of survey is used to highlight its presence when it could be damaged or disturbed by normal activities, routine maintenance, or by installing new equipment. The second type of  survey relates to significant major work, such refurbishments and demolition.

The course outlines of the key legislation and regulations governing asbestos for those who work with it in Great Britain.

The main piece of legislation is The Control of Asbestos Regulations (CAR) 2012. These are themselves an update of the CAR 2006 and bought the UK into line with the EU framework. They apply to both employers, employees, self employed persons and duty holders in all their guises and cover all work with material containing asbestos.

The regulations split asbestos related work into three categories

• licenced
• non licenced
• notifiable non licenced work or NNLW.

Licenced work is the most dangerous type of related work and can only be carried out by us licenced asbestos contractor.

This course is an awareness course only.. If you’re going to be removing or working with this material, then this isn’t the course for you. You’ll need either non licensable work with asbestos including NNLW training or licensable work with asbestos training.