HEALTH & SAFETY COMPLIANCE NOTES
ASBESTOS
Version: 4
Issued by: H&S Team
Ref No: CYC/HS/CN15
Issue: July 2015
Page: 1 of 23
ASBESTOS COMPLIANCE NOTE
INTRODUCTION
This document provides information to minimise the risks associated around working
with asbestos.
CONTENTS
Section
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
Topic
Safety Management System Arrangements Details
Definitions
Duty to Manage
Surveys
Asbestos Information
Management Plans / Remedial Action
Site Asbestos Register
Monitoring
Training
Contractors
Working with Asbestos
Health Surveillance/Record Keeping
Asbestos Emergencies
Construction Work/CDM Requirements
Transporting and Disposal of Asbestos Waste
Licensed Contractors
Appendix 1: HSE Flowchart
Appendix 2: HSE At-a-glance Guidance
Appendix 3: HSE Guidance
Appendix 4: HSE Diagram
Page
2
3
4
5
5
6
8
8
9
10
11
12
13
15
15
16
18
19
20
23
If you have any questions relating to this document please contact
healthandsafetyteam@york.gov.uk
HEALTH & SAFETY COMPLIANCE NOTES
ASBESTOS
Version: 4
Issued by: H&S Team
Ref No: CYC/HS/CN15
Issue: July 2015
Page: 2 of 23
SECTION 1: SAFETY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (SMS) ARRANGEMENT DETAILS
Policy & objectives
To manage the risk from Asbestos Containing Materials (ACMs) in CYC premises.
Scope
This arrangement applies to all:
 CYC premises which can be occupied, either temporarily or permanently
 Occupants of CYC premises, whether occupancy is permanent or temporary
 Visitors to the premises, including contractors engaged to carry out maintenance /
refurbishment works on behalf of CYC
 CYC Employees responsible for organising or managing maintenance /
refurbishment works in CYC premises
NB: Whilst council-owned domestic housing premises and commercial premises, which
are leased to tenants, do come under the scope of the policy and objectives, they are
subject to their own bespoke management regimes which differ with respect to the
specific requirements referred to below.
Specific Requirements








All CYC work premises are surveyed to indicate the location, type and condition of
any ACMs
Each CYC work premise has a bespoke 'Premises Asbestos File' (a ring binder
containing a copy of the site asbestos survey, the site asbestos register and risk
assessments relating to known ACMs )
Each CYC work premise nominates a Site Asbestos Liaison Officer (SALO) to take
ownership of the Premises Asbestos File which is kept readily available for
consultation by staff and must be brought to the attention of visiting contractors.
(SALOs should have asbestos awareness training as a minimum)
All staff on site are made aware of the location of, and risk presented by, any known
ACMs on site which are likely to affect them
An Asbestos Management Plan is implemented in each CYC work premise based
upon the Risk Assessments and recommendations contained in the Asbestos Survey
Report for each site
The original Asbestos Survey Report for each CYC work premise is audited/reviewed
externally on an annual basis
Before planning any disturbance of the fabric of a CYC premise a Refurbishment and
Demolition (R&D) Survey is undertaken in the affected areas
Any work undertaken at premises or parts of premises that are not covered by
existing surveys must be presumed to contain asbestos and appropriate controls
taken unless there is good evidence available to suggest that it does not contain
asbestos.
If you have any questions relating to this document please contact
healthandsafetyteam@york.gov.uk
HEALTH & SAFETY COMPLIANCE NOTES
ASBESTOS
Version: 4
Issued by: H&S Team

Ref No: CYC/HS/CN15
Issue: July 2015
Page: 3 of 23
Work that is classified as notifiable must be notified to the relevant enforcing authority
(in most instances this will be the HSE, however some work will be notified to the
Local Authority)
Use of Licensed Contractors; certain types of work with ACMs can only be done by
Contractors that have been issued with a licence by the HSE.
SECTION 2: DEFINITIONS
Asbestos – is a naturally occurring fibrous material that has been a popular building
material since the 1950s. It is used as an insulator, has good fire protection properties
and protects against corrosion. Asbestos is found in many products used in buildings,
including ceiling tiles, pipe insulation, boilers and sprayed coatings. Any premises built
before the year 2000 is likely to include some type of asbestos containing material.
Asbestos fibres are a known carcinogen and exposure to its fibres can result in lung
disease (mesothelioma , pleural plaques, lung cancer). Although asbestos is a hazardous
material, it can only pose a risk to health if the asbestos fibres become airborne and are
then inhaled. ACMs only release fibres into the air when they are disturbed.
Main Duty Holder – those who have responsibility for the maintenance and/or repair of
non-domestic premises, this is usually the employer
Duty Holder – this is usually local management ie headteacher, centre manager etc.
The extent of their duty depends on the amount of control they have over the premises.
SALO – Site Asbestos Liasion Officer – person nominated to represent a particular
Council premise with respect to monitoring the procedures introduced to manage the risk
from any asbestos materials (NB: there may be more than one SALO required for some
premises)
Contractor – anyone (ie an organisation or self-employed person) contracted to carry
out work, who is not an employee of CYC. Contractors may be employed for just a few
hours or on a regular basis; and includes consultants, trainers, service contractors and
transport companies who transport waste, goods or people. It does not include partners
and partnership agreements.
Licensable work – requires a contractor to be licensed by the HSE to carry out work on
ACMs.
Non Licensable Work – low risk work carried out on material where the fibres are firmly
held in the matrix material work on low risk low friable materials (other control
precautions apply)
If you have any questions relating to this document please contact
healthandsafetyteam@york.gov.uk
HEALTH & SAFETY COMPLIANCE NOTES
ASBESTOS
Version: 4
Issued by: H&S Team
Ref No: CYC/HS/CN15
Issue: July 2015
Page: 4 of 23
Notifiable Non-Licensed Work (NNLW) – this type of work needs to be notified to the
relevant enforcing authority; however it can be carried out by non-licensed staff providing
strict controls are applied and met.
Asbestos Management Plan (AMP) – a written scheme identifying how you will
manage any asbestos on site, this is developed using your site survey to carry out a risk
assessment on ACMs, and is managed by the Duty holder.
Site Asbestos Register – a record of existing, known ACMs on site, kept available for
staff, and visitors. Contractor’s attention must be drawn to the Site Asbestos Record.
SECTION 3: DUTY TO MANAGE
The main duty to manage Asbestos is placed on the person or organisation that has the
management responsibility for maintenance or repair of the premises. The duty to
manage does not apply to domestic premises, but does apply to common parts such as
entrance halls and stairwells.
The identity of the duty holder in buildings, such as Elderly Persons Homes, schools and
similar premises will depend on how responsibility for maintenance of the premises is
allocated. For example in most schools, the main duty holder will be the employer, this
may be the Local Authority (LA), Governing bodies or Foundation trust depending on the
type of school, the duty holder in these establishments will be the senior manager on site
eg Head teacher, principal etc.
The duty holder must manage the risk from asbestos on the premises.
The duty holder is required to:
ensure that a written plan is prepared that shows where the ACM is located and how
it will be managed – what is the condition of the ACM
 prevent exposure to asbestos, including to contractors and other workers who may
carry out work on the fabric of the building that could disturb the ACM and to
members of the public that may inadvertently damage the fabric of the building
 ensure that any actions identified in the plan are carried out
 ensure the plan is communicated to those affected
 ensure the plan is reviewed and monitored regularly and updated as circumstances
change, in consultation with all those who may be affected.

If you have any questions relating to this document please contact
healthandsafetyteam@york.gov.uk
HEALTH & SAFETY COMPLIANCE NOTES
ASBESTOS
Version: 4
Issued by: H&S Team
Ref No: CYC/HS/CN15
Issue: July 2015
Page: 5 of 23
SECTION 4: SURVEYS
All relevant non-domestic corporate and commercial premises administered by the
Council must be surveyed to determine the location and condition of any accessible
asbestos-containing materials. The resultant survey report must then be used to
formulate an Asbestos Management Plan for that particular premise.
All existing premises have been surveyed. However, any newly purchased premises or
premises leased for occupation by Council staff are subject to this requirement, unless
information is available to confirm that the premises were built after 2000 and therefore
is unlikely to contain ACMs.
For general operational management purposes a Management Survey will suffice. A
management survey is the standard survey. Its purpose is to locate, as far as reasonably
practicable, the presence and extent of any suspect ACMs in the building which could be
damaged or disturbed during normal occupancy, including foreseeable maintenance and
installation, and to assess their condition.
However, if any maintenance or refurbishment works are planned which would cause
major disturbance to the structure of the premises a Refurbishment and Demolition
(R&D) Survey must be undertaken. This type of survey is used to locate and describe,
as far as reasonably practicable, all ACMs in the area where the refurbishment work will
take place or in the whole building if demolition is planned. The survey will be fully
intrusive and involve destructive inspection, as necessary, to gain access to all areas,
including those that may be difficult to reach.
Asbestos Surveys undertaken on behalf of CYC must only be carried out by
Occupational Hygiene Contractors who are accredited to do so by UKAS
(http://www.ukas.org/testing).
Further information is on the HSE’s website: http://www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/
SECTION 5: ASBESTOS INFORMATION
It is a legal duty to provide information about asbestos to anyone who works in a
premise and who is likely to disturb the building fabric.
This includes cleaning staff, maintenance personnel (internal and external), caretaking
staff, and contractors. A copy of the asbestos register should be kept at the site’s
reception, contractors must read and sign that they have been made aware of the
location and type of ACMs.
If you have any questions relating to this document please contact
healthandsafetyteam@york.gov.uk
HEALTH & SAFETY COMPLIANCE NOTES
ASBESTOS
Version: 4
Issued by: H&S Team
Ref No: CYC/HS/CN15
Issue: July 2015
Page: 6 of 23
All staff working in a premise should be made aware of the location of the Asbestos
Survey Report for that site and must be informed about any known asbestos materials in
the vicinity of their general work location eg teachers working in classrooms having
asbestos ceilings must be made aware that they must not pin any materials or work to
this surface. Staff must also be made aware of the correct action to take in the event
ACMs are accidentally released (eg ceiling collapse).
SECTION 6: MANAGEMENT PLAN / REMEDIAL ACTION
A written management plan should be prepared by the Duty Holder. The management
plan sets out how the risks identified from ACMs will be managed. This should include:
 identifying the person(s) responsible for managing the asbestos risk eg Duty holder
and the Site Asbestos Liaison Officer (SALO)
 a copy of the asbestos record or register and how to access it, where it is held and
how to use it;
 instructions on how to proceed with work on site eg that any work on the fabric of the
building cannot start without the relevant parts of the record/register being checked.
 the procedures and arrangements to make sure the work is carried out safely without
exposing staff to asbestos fibres
 the record/register is checked in good time before the work starts
 that the information on the presence of asbestos has been understood and will be
taken into account
 that the correct controls will be used and that competent asbestos-trained contractors
will carry out the work where necessary
 plans are in place for any necessary work identified from the risk assessment, eg
repair, protect or remove ACMs
 the schedule for monitoring the condition of any ACMs is adhered to
 the content of the management plan is communicated to relevant staff.
 any planned work is carried out taking account of the information within the Asbestos
Management Plan, where work is projected outside the scope of the management
survey an R&D Survey is required
The Asbestos Management Plan (AMP) sets out how the risks from asbestos materials
on site are to be managed. Risk assessments for all known asbestos materials on site
will be contained within any Asbestos Survey or Audit Reports for the site.
Asbestos risks are graded as high, medium, low or very low risks. Known* High risk
asbestos materials identified in the original site surveys have in most instances been
removed, however, the person designated with the responsibility for organising the
maintenance of the premise will have to manage any reported medium, low or very low
risk asbestos materials which remain on their site
If you have any questions relating to this document please contact
healthandsafetyteam@york.gov.uk
HEALTH & SAFETY COMPLIANCE NOTES
ASBESTOS
Version: 4
Issued by: H&S Team
Ref No: CYC/HS/CN15
Issue: July 2015
Page: 7 of 23
*Any area that could not be accessed at the time of the survey or has not been surveyed
must be presumed to contain asbestos, these areas are usually inaccessible to the
surveyors
such
as
high
ceilings,
loft
spaces/voids
etc.
If any planned work is likely to disturb the fabric of the building then additional surveys
may be required. Where no evidence exists a presumption that asbestos is present
should be made and the areas managed accordingly. The record should indicate which
areas have not been surveyed and where material has been removed the survey record
must be amended to indicate that the ACMs have been removed.
Remedial action normally falls into three categories:



Removal: which removes the risk completely
Treatment: which could include encapsulation or over-boarding of asbestos to
reduce the risk-still requires managing as part of the asbestos management plan
Manage: monitor condition during workplace inspections, look for signs of damage
or deterioration
NB: Work with the more hazardous asbestos materials eg asbestos insulation and
asbestos insulating boards, must only be undertaken by contractors who are licensed to
do so by the HSE.
Work on the less hazardous asbestos materials eg cement products and thermoplastic
floor tiles, can be undertaken by general contractors, building maintenance staff or
school maintenance staff so long as they:




Have received appropriate training – Asbestos Awareness or Working with
Notifiable Non-Licensed asbestos
Use appropriate equipment (correct PPE, non-abrasive tools, hand tools not
powered etc.)
Have the appropriate insurance cover to work with asbestos (external contractors)
Comply with the requirements of Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012
A management checklist (form F15B) has been developed to help ensure appropriate
information is kept in your site management plan – a copy of this can be found in your
Asbestos Folder and should be placed in the front of your AMP
Technical advice on any required asbestos remedial works can be sought from the
Council's Asbestos/Legionella Officer, or through the Health and Safety Team.
If you have any questions relating to this document please contact
healthandsafetyteam@york.gov.uk
HEALTH & SAFETY COMPLIANCE NOTES
ASBESTOS
Version: 4
Issued by: H&S Team
Ref No: CYC/HS/CN15
Issue: July 2015
Page: 8 of 23
SECTION 7: SITE ASBESTOS REGISTER
This should show details of all known asbestos materials on your site; contents of the
register include:







Site plan
Photos of existing known ACMs
Inspection report sheet
Contractor log sheet
Staff log sheet – staff to sign to acknowledge they are aware of presence and
location of ACMs
Asbestos works notification sheet
What is the extent of the survey available (Management or R&D survey)
The register should be:




Kept in an accessible place (eg reception, front desk etc)
Made available for all staff and visitors to site
Shown to all Contractors visiting your site in order to carry out works which could
disturb the fabric of the building-contractors must sign the log sheet to say they are
aware of the presence of asbestos and its location and proximity to their working area
The Asbestos Register does not list any asbestos materials which may be
hidden inside the building structure. If disturbance of the building structure is likely to
be extensive (replacing windows, boilers, ceilings etc) a Refurbishment and
Demolition Survey (R&D) must be carried out in areas that may be affected by the
planned work, before work commences.
Advice on how to arrange an R&D survey can be obtained by contacting the Asbestos
and Legionella Officer (01904-554361) or the Health and Safety Team on 01904554131.
SECTION 8: MONITORING
Periodic monitoring will be required to ensure ACMs still in situ remain in a good
condition.


CYC provide an annual review of retained ACMs based on the initial asbestos
condition survey.
Workplace inspections should look at the condition of ACMs and record any changes;
additionally the site SALO should carry out regular inspections of known material.
Guidance on what to look for during a periodic inspection and how to assess the risk
from asbestos materials is given below
If you have any questions relating to this document please contact
healthandsafetyteam@york.gov.uk
HEALTH & SAFETY COMPLIANCE NOTES
ASBESTOS
Version: 4
Issued by: H&S Team
Ref No: CYC/HS/CN15
Issue: July 2015
Page: 9 of 23
Poor Condition
Major damage – debris visible.
Recommended action – remove and replace urgently
Fair Condition
Minor damage – abrasion, friable edges visible; no visible debris.
Recommended action – encapsulate/seal affected areas
Good Condition
Insulation coated and well sealed; no visible damage
Recommended action – periodic inspection
Periodic monitoring will help to pick up any damage or deterioration that may have
occurred since the last inspection.
Any such damage or deterioration in condition of asbestos materials must be reported to
the person responsible for maintaining the premises, so that appropriate remedial works
can be arranged and the record amended
SECTION 9: TRAINING
There are three main types of training:
 Asbestos Awareness
 Non-licensable work with asbestos including Notifiable Non-Licensable Work (NNLW)
 Licensable work with asbestos (this is training provided to specialist companies who
hold an asbestos licence)
It is essential that all relevant staff receive basic information relating to asbestos
awareness in their building or potential work areas as part of their induction process. The
site asbestos register should be brought the attention of all new starters and existing
staff should be reminded of the registers existence.
Asbestos awareness training should be given to employees whose work could
foreseeably disturb the fabric of a building and expose them to asbestos or who
supervise or influence the work. In particular, it should be given to those workers in the
refurbishment, maintenance and allied trades, where it is foreseeable that ACMs may
become exposed during their work. This includes, but is not limited to: demolition
workers; construction workers; general maintenance staff; electricians; plumbers; gas
fitters; painters and decorators; joiners; plasterers; roofers; heating and ventilation
engineers; telecommunication engineers; computer and data installers; fire and burglar
alarm installers; architects, building surveyors and other such professionals.
If you have any questions relating to this document please contact
healthandsafetyteam@york.gov.uk
HEALTH & SAFETY COMPLIANCE NOTES
ASBESTOS
Version: 4
Issued by: H&S Team
Ref No: CYC/HS/CN15
Issue: July 2015
Page: 10 of 23
Where appropriate, Building Managers/Custodians, appointed Site Asbestos Liaison
Officers (SALOs) and caretakers should receive basic asbestos awareness training in
order for them to understand their role in managing the risk from any asbestos materials
on their sites. This basic “Asbestos Awareness Training” may be sourced internally via
the Council's Workforce Development Unit (WDU).
Awareness training is only intended to help employees avoid carrying out work that will
disturb asbestos. There is no legal requirement to repeat a formal refresher awareness
training course, however some form of refresher should be given, as necessary, to help
prevent workers putting themselves or others at risk in the course of their work, this
could be in the form of a tool box talk or through targeted training based on the type of
work activity carried out, this can be identified through monitoring of staff.
The WDU can also provide training for Working with Non-Licensable Asbestos; see
the WDU website for course details:
http://www.yorkworkforcedevelopment.org.uk/
NB: It is a legal duty for contractors, who by the nature of their work are likely to disturb
asbestos, to train their employees in asbestos awareness. Any contractor hired to carry
out work in CYC premises must be able to provide proof of such training eg training
certificates.
SECTION 10: CONTRACTORS
Contractors (& sub-contractors) must:
 inform the building manager, or their designated representative that they are on site –
this includes CYC tradesmen
 before starting work check the asbestos register for the site and ensure that proposed
works will not disturb any known asbestos materials.
 have an emergency plan in place for dealing with accidental disturbances of ACMs
 not disturb any asbestos materials on site unless authorised to do so
 not disturb any materials which are suspected could contain asbestos. if works can not
be carried out without disturbing the suspect material – request that a sample be taken
of the suspect material by a specialist for analysis
 not carry out any work that falls outside the scope of their training or on work that they
are not trained to do [see Section 9 for information around training]
 if any intended works will involve ‘significant’ disturbance of the building fabric a R&D
‘intrusive’ asbestos survey must be carried out by a specialist company (accredited by
UKAS) on all affected areas to detect any possibly hidden asbestos materials
For information on how to obtain the services of an Surveyor contact the Health & Safety
Team
If you have any questions relating to this document please contact
healthandsafetyteam@york.gov.uk
HEALTH & SAFETY COMPLIANCE NOTES
ASBESTOS
Version: 4
Issued by: H&S Team
Ref No: CYC/HS/CN15
Issue: July 2015
Page: 11 of 23
SECTION 11: WORKING WITH ASBESTOS
Most asbestos work will require a contractor holding a licence from the HSE; this
includes all work with sprayed asbestos coatings and asbestos lagging and most work
with asbestos insulation and asbestos insulating board (AIB).
Regardless of the type of work, all work on asbestos must comply with the relevant
requirements of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012.
Work which is likely to release high concentrations of asbestos fibres into the air must be
undertaken by a contractor licensed by HSE, this includes all work with sprayed coatings
and asbestos lagging and most work with asbestos insulation board (AIB).
Some non-licensed work also has additional requirements ie notification of work, medical
surveillance and record keeping. This work is known as Notifiable Non-Licensed Work
(NNLW) – this type of non-licensed work needs to be notified to the relevant enforcing
authority, brief written records should be kept of non-licensed work eg a copy of the
notification with a list of workers on the job, plus the level of likely exposure of those
workers to asbestos.
Before any work with asbestos is carried out CYC Form F15A must be completed
and returned to the Health & Safety Team by the person organising the planned
work.
If the work doesn't need a licence, you can do maintenance work on or around ACMs
with the appropriate controls in place; to be exempt from needing a licence the work
must be:

Sporadic and low intensity – to be considered sporadic and low intensity the
concentration of asbestos in the air should not exceed 0.6f/cm 3 measured over 10
minutes, this does not require air monitoring on every job, an estimate of degree of
exposure can be made based on experience of similar past tasks or published guidance:
http://www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/essentials/index.htm

Carried out in such a way that the exposure of workers to asbestos will not exceed the
legal control limit of 0.1f/cm3 and ;
Meet at least one of these other conditions:
It is a short non-continuous maintenance task, with only non-friable materials (friability
describes how likely an ACM is to release asbestos fibres when worked on, so nonfriable materials will only release a small number of fibres during work eg thermoplastic
floor tiles)
It is a removal task, where the ACMs are in reasonable condition and are not being
deliberately broken up, and the asbestos fibres are firmly contained within a matrix, eg
the asbestos is coated, covered or contained within another material, such as cement,
paint or plastic (rain water goods, thermoplastic tiles, garage roofs etc).



If you have any questions relating to this document please contact
healthandsafetyteam@york.gov.uk
HEALTH & SAFETY COMPLIANCE NOTES
ASBESTOS
Version: 4
Issued by: H&S Team

Ref No: CYC/HS/CN15
Issue: July 2015
Page: 12 of 23
It is a task where the ACMs are in good condition and are being sealed or encapsulated
to ensure they are not easily damaged in the future
Whether a type of asbestos work is either Licensable, Notifiable Non-Licensed Work or
Non-Licensed work has to be determined in each case and will depend on the type of
work you are going to carry out, the type of material you are going to work on and its
condition. The identification of the type of ACM to be worked on and an assessment of
its condition are important parts of the risk assessment, which needs to be completed
before you start work.
If the work is exempt from licensing
If the work is exempt from the need for a licence, you then need to decide if it is
Notifiable Non-Licensed Work or Non-Licensed work. The key factors to consider when
determining this are: what type of work are you planning to do, what type of
asbestos is it, what is the condition of the material.
It is the responsibility of the person in charge of the work to assess the ACM to be
worked on and decide if the work is NNLW or Non-licensed work. This will be a matter of
judgement in each case, dependent on consideration of the above factors.


More information on what is NNLW and what is not can be found at
http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/guidance/a0.pdf
Notification is carried out by using the online notification form at
https://extranet.hse.gov.uk/lfserver/external/asbnnlw1 Notice is required before the
work starts but there is no minimum notice period. You do not need to wait for
permission before starting work (NNLW ONLY).
Detailed advice and guidance on how to carry out work with asbestos can be found on
the HSE website following this link
http://www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/essentials/index.htm
SECTION 12: HEALTH SURVEILLANCE AND RECORD KEEPING
By 30 April 2015, all workers carrying out NNLW will need to have had a medical
examination. Examinations will then need to be repeated at least every 3 years, as long
as the worker continues to do NNLW. After April 2015, workers carrying out NNLW for
the first time will have to have an examination before they can start such work.
It is the Duty Holder’s responsibility to ensure that provision is in place to enable
examinations to be carried out (eg by Occupational Health) and that suitable records are
kept.
If you have any questions relating to this document please contact
healthandsafetyteam@york.gov.uk
HEALTH & SAFETY COMPLIANCE NOTES
ASBESTOS
Version: 4
Issued by: H&S Team




Ref No: CYC/HS/CN15
Issue: July 2015
Page: 13 of 23
Medical examinations must include an examination of the chest and a lung function
test
They need to be carried out by a licensed medical practitioner, eg a GP
Medical examinations should be carried out in work time at the employers' expense
The doctor must issue a certificate to confirm the examination has taken place and on
what date. The employer needs to keep this certificate for 4 years
Record Keeping
A register (health record) of NNLW with asbestos for each employee exposed to
asbestos must be kept, this must include:





the nature and duration of work with asbestos and estimated exposure for each
individual worker; and
dates of the worker's medical examinations;
Record keeping may be as simple as writing down the names of workers on the job
on your copy of the notification or keeping copies of the notification form for each
person carrying out NNLW work, as the notification copy will document the nature of
the job and type of asbestos from which likely exposure can be estimated.
More detailed medical records will be kept by the doctor;
Registers of work (health records) must be kept for 40 years (and offered to HSE or
the individual concerned should the business cease trading);
The need to record exposure does not mean that every non-licensed task must have air
sampling. There will often be published exposure figures or knowledge within the
industry about exposures found at similar lower risk work done in the past. If a task is
unusual sampling may be required.
SECTION 13: ASBESTOS EMERGENCIES
If it is suspected that asbestos-containing materials have been disturbed accidentally
then the following procedure should be followed:




Stop work immediately! Do not allow further disturbance to take place
Leave all tools and equipment in the affected work area
Disposable paper overalls and over shoes are included in the Asbestos Emergency Kit
these should be used after any potential disturbance; workers should remove all
potentially contaminated clothing eg overalls, work wear, boots etc and place in
asbestos waste bags provided, and leave them in the affected area. The disposable
overalls should be worn instead of and not over normal clothing before staff leave the
contaminated area
In the event of an extreme release, as a second option we have the services of a
decontamination unit available through the contractor named below (Gentoo)
If you have any questions relating to this document please contact
healthandsafetyteam@york.gov.uk
HEALTH & SAFETY COMPLIANCE NOTES
ASBESTOS
Version: 4
Issued by: H&S Team







Ref No: CYC/HS/CN15
Issue: July 2015
Page: 14 of 23
The immediate area should be evacuated by all personnel where it is safe to do so
without contaminating other areas and access restricted
Where applicable – entrance doors to the affected area should be closed and locked
Warning notices (eg “Keep Out”) should be posted on the entrance door(s) to prevent
unauthorised entry
Contact the emergency asbestos contractor on the number below to arrange any
analysis and removal as required.
Inform your line management through the usual channels and the Health & Safety Team
on the contact details below
The Asbestos Register should be checked to confirm that the disturbed component
actually contains asbestos – if in doubt request assistance but assume it is Asbestos!
If the presence of asbestos is known or suspected the contractor below can remove and
environmentally clean the affected area – this can be arranged locally to avoid delays.
Emergency contact number for asbestos removal – Gentoo tel: 0191-5255000
NB. The Building Manager/Custodian will be responsible for the cost of any decontamination work
In the event of any issues arising please notify the Health and Safety Team as soon as
possible on the next working day:



Helpline Number 01904 554131
Asbestos/Legionella Officer (office hours only) 01904-554361 or 07825 861564
Health and Safety Manager 07767-318245
Emergency kit contents
Paper disposable overalls
Grade 5 white overalls
Dust mask
Ideally half face filtered mask/minimum
FP3 filtration
Bags
1000 grade visqueen asbestos bags
Red/Clear
Overshoes
White paper overshoes
The Asbestos Emergency Procedure Card (CYC/HS/I15) should be distributed to all
CYC trades people and where appropriate displayed in the works vehicle, staff should
be made aware of this procedure via toolbox talks, team meetings etc.
If you have any questions relating to this document please contact
healthandsafetyteam@york.gov.uk
HEALTH & SAFETY COMPLIANCE NOTES
ASBESTOS
Version: 4
Issued by: H&S Team
Ref No: CYC/HS/CN15
Issue: July 2015
Page: 15 of 23
SECTION 14: CONSTRUCTION WORK / CDM REQUIREMENTS
The Construction Design and Management Regulations (CDM) requires arrangements
to be in place to deal with asbestos during construction work, including refurbishment
and demolition. Please see the CYC CDM compliance note for further details.
You must provide this information to contractors so that those planning or bidding for the
work can allocate resources for the control of asbestos. Sites already hold information
about the presence or otherwise of asbestos in their existing Management
Plan/Asbestos register, however it is particularly important where the project involves
demolition that a Refurbishment and Demolition survey is carried out that identifies
whether asbestos is present and, if so, where it is situated and what type it is.
SECTION 15: TRANSPORTING AND DISPOSAL OF ASBESTOS WASTE
Disposing of asbestos waste
Asbestos waste is potentially hazardous and a known carcinogen (a cancer-causing
material). It can be very damaging to human health and the environment. It does not
break down easily and remains in the environment for a long time. What you must do:
Hazardous/special waste
Waste containing more than 0.1 per cent asbestos is classed as hazardous/special
waste. You must deal with this waste as hazardous/special waste.
Any waste that contains asbestos, or is contaminated with asbestos, must be doublebagged and placed in a covered, locked skip. This includes but is not limited to overalls,
over-shoes, sampling wastes and respiratory protection equipment that have come into
contact with asbestos.
If you have any personal protective equipment (PPE) that is contaminated with asbestos,
you must dispose of it as asbestos waste or clean it at a suitably equipped facility. If
personal clothing becomes contaminated, you must treat it in the same way as
contaminated PPE.
You must not mix asbestos waste with other types of waste.
If you have large asbestos sheets you should not break them up. Instead, wrap them in
polythene sheeting and label them.
Labelling asbestos items
You must clearly label raw asbestos and asbestos waste with the asbestos warning
label. The label must be either firmly stuck to or directly printed onto the item or its
packaging.
If you have any questions relating to this document please contact
healthandsafetyteam@york.gov.uk
HEALTH & SAFETY COMPLIANCE NOTES
ASBESTOS
Version: 4
Issued by: H&S Team
Ref No: CYC/HS/CN15
Issue: July 2015
Page: 16 of 23
Licensed contractors who dispose of asbestos-contaminated materials use red, thick
plastic sacks with asbestos warnings printed on the outside.
Storing and transporting asbestos waste
You must store and transport raw asbestos and asbestos waste in a sealed container
such as a covered, locked skip or, if more appropriate, within sealed wrapping. It must
be clearly marked with the asbestos warning label to show that it contains asbestos.
If you transport asbestos waste you must comply with the Carriage of Dangerous Goods
Regulations. These include requirements for packaging and documentation.
City of York Council is registered as a lower tier waste carrier/broker/dealer with the
Environment Agency. This registration covers the transportation of bonded asbestos
waste in any suitable vehicle in our fleet.
SECTION 16: LICENSED CONTRACTORS.
Most work on asbestos must be undertaken by a licensed contractor but any decision
on whether particular work is licensable is based on the risk.
Licensable work with asbestos is work:


where worker exposure to asbestos is not sporadic and of low intensity; or
where the risk assessment cannot clearly demonstrate that the control limit will not be
exceeded i.e. 0.1 asbestos fibres per cubic centimetre of air (0.1 f/cm 3); or
 on asbestos coating (other than decorative coatings e.g. textured paint finishes); or
 on asbestos insulation or asbestos insulating board where the risk assessment
demonstrates that the work is not short duration work, eg when work with these
materials will take no more than two hours in any seven day period, and no one
person works for more than one hour in that two hour period.
 You will require a licenced contractor if you are planning any work with asbestos in any
of the above ways
 Licensed asbestos contractors will undertake a number of ancillary tasks as part of the
asbestos removal process (unless they fall within work exempt from the need for
licence – see 'Non-licensed work'), for example:
o setting up and taking down enclosures for notifiable and licensed asbestos
work;
o cleaning the structure, plant and equipment inside the enclosure.
 some other workers may also have an 'ancillary' license allowing them to do certain
types of work, including:
If you have any questions relating to this document please contact
healthandsafetyteam@york.gov.uk
HEALTH & SAFETY COMPLIANCE NOTES
ASBESTOS
Version: 4
Issued by: H&S Team
Ref No: CYC/HS/CN15
Issue: July 2015
Page: 17 of 23
o putting up and taking down scaffolding to provide access for licensable work
where it is foreseeable that the scaffolding activity is likely to disturb the
asbestos;
o maintaining air extraction equipment (which includes 'negative pressure' units)
If you have any questions relating to this document please contact
healthandsafetyteam@york.gov.uk
HEALTH & SAFETY COMPLIANCE NOTES
ASBESTOS
Version: 4
Issued by: H&S Team
Ref No: CYC/HS/CN15
Issue: July 2015
Page: 18 of 23
Appendix 1: HSE Decision flow chart – Licensable, non licensable or notifiable
non licensable work
If you have any questions relating to this document please contact
healthandsafetyteam@york.gov.uk
HEALTH & SAFETY COMPLIANCE NOTES
ASBESTOS
Version: 4
Issued by: H&S Team
Ref No: CYC/HS/CN15
Issue: July 2015
Page: 19 of 23
Appendix 2: HSE At-a-glance guidance:
Non-licensed work
NNLW requires:
Comply with risk
Notification before work starts,
Assessment recommendations
no specific period work can
from AMP, material is low or
commence straight away-HSE
very low risk
or Local authority
Use relevant equipment, tools
 Record of task undertaken
Refer to HSE Guidance Sheets
This must include:
in Asbestos Essentials
o the nature and duration of
o
Control of exposure,
Training-Asbestos awareness
Licensed work-only
undertaken by specialist
organisation
Licensing, compliance with
requirements
work with asbestos and
estimated exposure for
each individual worker; and
dates of the worker's
medical examinations;
Health checks records kept for
4 Years
Training-Asbestos working
with Non Notifiable Licensable
materials
Medical examinations every 3
years by GP while employee
still working with Asbestos
(from April 2015)
Compliance with risk
assessment recommendations
(from AMP)
Control of exposure
Provision of correct PPE
Use of correct tools/equipment
Restrict access
Follow Guidance sheets in
HSE Asbestos Essentials
Notified to enforcing authority
14 days in advance of work
commencing
emergency arrangements in
place
designated asbestos areas
medical examination every 2
years
health records
Risk assessment
control of exposure
training
If you have any questions relating to this document please contact
healthandsafetyteam@york.gov.uk
HEALTH & SAFETY COMPLIANCE NOTES
ASBESTOS
Version: 4
Issued by: H&S Team
Ref No: CYC/HS/CN15
Issue: July 2015
Page: 20 of 23
Appendix 3: HSE guidance
What type of
work are you
planning to do, is
it
What type of
asbestos is it:
What is the
condition of the
material
Non Licensed
General Maintenance
work drilling holes to
attach fittings or pass
cables through, painting,
cleaning light fittings etc.
Maintenance includes
some removal where it is
incidental to the main task,
e.g. removing an asbestos
ceiling tile to allow
inspection,
Is it friable? The more
friable (easily reduced to
tiny particles) a material
is, the more likely it will
release asbestos fibres
when worked on and the
greater the risk of
exposure.
Has the material been
damaged or is it in poor
condition? – removal of
ACMs in poor condition eg
due to flood or fire
damage, will normally
need to be treated as
NNLW;
Work which disturbs the
least friable materials eg
asbestos cement can
normally be treated as
non-licensed work;
Removal, eg as part of a
refurbishment or redesign
project
Encapsulation,
eg work to
enclose or seal
asbestos
materials in
good condition;
Is the asbestos bonded in a
matrix? (For removal work
only) – Asbestos containing
materials (ACMs) where the
asbestos is coated, covered
or contained within another
material, such as cement,
paint or plastic are
considered to be firmly
bonded in a matrix, ACMs of
this type in good condition
can usually be treated as
non-licensed work but where
they are significantly
damaged, and so more likely
to release fibres, they will
need to be treated as NNLW.
Will the materials' matrix be
destroyed when worked
on? – eg deteriorating
textured decorative coatings
e.g. 'Artex' with gel or steam
to remove it, will normally
need to be treated as NNLW
Examples of Non-Licensed
work;
short, non-continuous
maintenance work involving
AIB which is in good
condition, e.g. drilling holes in
AIB to attach a fitting or pass
through a cable or pipe,
cleaning light fittings attached
to AIB,
removing a door with AIB fireproofing,
If you have any questions relating to this document please contact
healthandsafetyteam@york.gov.uk
HEALTH & SAFETY COMPLIANCE NOTES
ASBESTOS
Version: 4
Issued by: H&S Team
Ref No: CYC/HS/CN15
Issue: July 2015
Page: 21 of 23
lifting ceiling tiles for
inspection where there is no
full-body entry into the roof
space;
short, non-continuous
maintenance work on
Asbestos Cement (AC), e.g.
work on weathered AC roof
tiles, roof sheets, flues etc
removal of AC, which it is
kept virtually intact,
short, non-continuous
maintenance work on
textured decorative coatings,
e.g. drilling holes, inserting
screws or painting
small-scale maintenance
work with textured decorative
coatings when this can be
achieved without
deterioration of the material,
e.g. by careful cutting around
backing sheets to achieve
removal intact
removal of gaskets or
asbestos rope cords from
heating appliances, which
can be left in situ for disposal
or can be lifted out virtually
intact, without substantial
breakage
removal of floor tiles or
bitumen felt, when done with
the appropriate controls
work to enclose or seal
asbestos materials that are in
good condition (and that do
not require a licence).
Notifiable non
Licensed WorkNNLW
Work which disturbs more
friable materials eg
asbestos insulation will
tend to be NNLW
Examples of NNLW include,
(assuming exposure is
sporadic and of low intensity
and will not exceed the
control limit);
minor, short duration,
maintenance work involving
asbestos insulation, e.g.
repairing minor damage to a
small section of pipe
insulation where the exterior
coating has been broken or
damaged
minor removal work involving
If you have any questions relating to this document please contact
healthandsafetyteam@york.gov.uk
HEALTH & SAFETY COMPLIANCE NOTES
ASBESTOS
Version: 4
Issued by: H&S Team
Ref No: CYC/HS/CN15
Issue: July 2015
Page: 22 of 23
AIB, when short duration and
as part of a refurbishment
project, e.g. removing AIB
panels fixed with screws
following water damage
entry into the roof space
above an AIB tiled ceiling,
when no decontamination or
cleaning has taken place
removal work involving
textured decorative coatings
where the method of removal
requires deterioration of the
material, e.g. where the
material is treated by steam,
hydrating gel etc and scraped
off the underlying surface, or
where it is very badly flooddamaged
removal of asbestos paper
and cardboard products if not
firmly bonded in a matrix
Removal of asbestos cement
(AC) which is substantially
degraded e.g. badly firedamaged or de-laminated
material, or where substantial
breakage is unavoidable to
achieve removal.
If you have any questions relating to this document please contact
healthandsafetyteam@york.gov.uk
HEALTH & SAFETY COMPLIANCE NOTES
ASBESTOS
Version: 4
Issued by: H&S Team
Ref No: CYC/HS/CN15
Issue: July 2015
Page: 23 of 23
Appendix 4: HSE diagram
.
If you have any questions relating to this document please contact
healthandsafetyteam@york.gov.uk