Printable version (pdf) ¦ Back to Asbestos Information

Tackling Asbestos and Keeping within the Law
Chamberlink - July 2005

Asbestos was the wonder material in construction and engineering for over a hundred years. It was easy to work, had excellent insulation and fire resistant properties, and it was cheap. It was used everywhere from ship building and skyscrapers to ironing boards, and even when it became clear in the 1930’s that asbestos had a darker side, it continued to be used in the UK until its complete ban in 1999.

Recent legislation has brought attention to the legacy of asbestos. Regulation 4 of The Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations of 2002 now requires those responsible for the maintenance of commercial and non-domestic properties to identify and manage asbestos. Buildings constructed up to the end of the 1980’s are the main source of exposures to asbestos containing materials, and identification, mainly by surveying for asbestos content and careful recording and management of the material is now mandatory.

At a stroke, Regulation 4 turned facilities managers and general managers into duty holders as defined by the new legislation. People, often with no experience of construction practices or materials, are now legally responsible for the management of asbestos and the processing and dissemination of information to anyone at risk of exposure. With many considering that asbestos was “someone-else’s problem”, it had become a major concern overnight, and organisations and individuals scrabbled to obtain the training and expertise required to remain compliant.

The Natas:group had been providing training and accreditation to asbestos workers and HSE licensed contractors for more than a decade before Regulation 4 was even considered, and watched with concern as training facilities sprang up all over the UK to meet the new demand. Today Natas runs hundreds of courses across the UK and Ireland each year from full asbestos contractors licensing and revalidation to training in Duty to Manage Asbestos, Asbestos Surveying & Identification and Asbestos Management in Buildings. All NATAS trainers have themselves have decades of experience in all aspects of working with asbestos

It is a leading provider of asbestos training and services, as well as supplier of asbestos surveys, management software, consultancy and project management services. The group is HSE listed for asbestos training, and works in partnership with the HSE on the “Duty to manage” campaign, and the development of asbestos training standards. NATAS delivers IOSH and BOHS modular courses as well as ASET and its own NATAS accredited courses.

The Birmingham based organisation is a source of information and assistance for any company with an asbestos issue. It offers a full range of asbestos services including surveying, consultancy and training courses designed for asbestos professionals, commercial property dutyholders and health and safety professionals. The organisation can be cont acted on 0870 751 1880. (www.natasgroup.co.uk)