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Asbestos was widely used in buildings until it was fully banned in the UK in 1999. Any building built or refurbished before 2000 could contain it. When asbestos materials are disturbed, fibres are released that can cause mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis and pleural thickening, often decades later. HSE estimates asbestos-related diseases cause around 5,000 deaths a year in Great Britain.
Key regulations
| Regulation | What it requires |
|---|---|
| 4 | The duty to manage asbestos in non-domestic premises. |
| 5 | Before any work that could disturb the fabric of a building, find out whether asbestos is present. |
| 6 and 7 | Assess the risk and write a plan of work before working with asbestos. |
| 8 | Most higher risk work needs a licence from HSE. |
| 9 | Notify the enforcing authority of licensable work at least 14 days before it starts, and notify notifiable non-licensed work before it starts. |
| 10 | Give information, instruction and training to anyone liable to disturb asbestos, with refresher training every year. |
| 11 | Prevent exposure, or reduce it to as low as reasonably practicable. |
| 22 | Medical examinations and health records for licensed and notifiable work. |
The duty to manage
Regulation 4 applies to whoever is responsible for maintaining or repairing non-domestic premises, including the common parts of blocks of flats. They must find out whether asbestos is present, presume materials contain it unless there is strong evidence otherwise, record its location and condition in an asbestos register, assess the risk, put a management plan in place and tell anyone who might disturb it, such as contractors.
The three types of asbestos work
| Category | Examples | Key requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Licensed | Removing sprayed coatings, most lagging and asbestos insulating board | HSE licensed contractor, 14 days notice, medicals, enclosures |
| Notifiable non-licensed (NNLW) | Drilling holes in asbestos insulating board, removing textured coatings, removing asbestos cement that is badly damaged | Notify before work, medical examinations every 3 years, records kept for 40 years |
| Non-licensed | Drilling holes in asbestos cement, removing intact asbestos cement sheets or vinyl floor tiles | Risk assessment, trained workers, suitable controls and RPE |
All work must keep exposure below the control limit of 0.1 fibres per cubic centimetre of air, averaged over 4 hours, and as low as reasonably practicable below that.
Asbestos surveys
| Survey | When it is needed | What it involves |
|---|---|---|
| Management survey | For normal occupation and maintenance of a building | Locates materials that could be disturbed in normal use and maintenance, assesses their condition. Usually some sampling. |
| Refurbishment and demolition survey | Before any refurbishment or demolition work | Fully intrusive survey of the area where work will happen, which may mean breaking into walls, floors and ceilings. |
Surveys should be done by a competent surveyor, usually from an organisation accredited by UKAS. HSE guidance HSG264 sets out how surveys should be carried out.
Training
Anyone whose work could disturb asbestos, such as electricians, plumbers, joiners and maintenance staff, needs asbestos awareness training, refreshed every year. People carrying out non-licensed work need more detailed training. Our guide to asbestos risk in older buildings covers the practical side for trades.
Training that helps
We run UKATA asbestos awareness, UKATA duty to manage asbestos and UKATA non-licensed asbestos work courses, plus asbestos awareness eLearning. For managers responsible for premises and contractors, the NEBOSH National General Certificate and the NEBOSH Health and Safety Management for Construction certificate cover asbestos management within the wider legal framework.
Frequently asked questions
Who has the duty to manage asbestos?
Whoever has responsibility for maintaining or repairing non-domestic premises, through a contract or tenancy, or the owner where there is no such arrangement.
How often is asbestos awareness training needed?
Every year. The ACoP expects refresher training annually.
What is the asbestos control limit?
0.1 fibres per cubic centimetre of air, averaged over 4 hours.
Do I need an asbestos survey before refurbishment?
Yes. A refurbishment and demolition survey is needed before any refurbishment or demolition work that could disturb the fabric of the building.
Does the duty to manage apply to houses?
Not to private homes, but it does apply to the common parts of blocks of flats and to any non-domestic premises.
Read the source
The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012; HSE L143, Managing and working with asbestos, the Approved Code of Practice; HSE HSG264, Asbestos: the survey guide; and HSE asbestos statistics. Facts checked on 6 October 2026.
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