The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006

Asbestos is a killer - by far the largest industrial killer in the UK with approximately 3,000 deaths per year, and likely to rise significantly. The main causes of death are asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma (cancer of the peritoneum). Symptoms may take up to 40 years to appear.

Since May 2002 every company or person who controls access to commercial premises, or can give instructions for building or maintenance work is a Dutyholder, and must identify Asbestos Containing Material (ACM) in their buildings and have a written plan for its management. Failure to do so is a serious offence, and could lead to serious health problems for workers. The 2006 regulations do not change this duty.

Asbestos may be assessed using one of three types of survey:

• MDHS100 Type 1 - This is a non destructive purely visual survey. All uninspected areas must be presumed to contain asbestos, and all suspect material is presumed to be asbestos.
• MDHS100 Type 2 - Similar to the Type 1 except suspect material is sampled and analysed.
• MDHS100 Type 3 - This is an intrusive survey, even of those areas not normally accessible. Suspect material is sampled and analysed.

The standards for these surveys have been under review and are due to be revised later this year.

Assessing the presence of asbestos is only the first part of the Dutyholders responsibilites - a written management plan must be prepared and periodically reviewed to ensure any ACMs known or presumed to be present are not disturbed.

The Solution

The Regulations allow the Dutyholder to employ an experienced Project Manager to deal with the complex issues arising from asbestos management. ACCL experts have many years direct experience and can provide services leading to both health and legal protection.

You may be required to remove or encapsulate ACM, but more often it can be left in place if properly managed, sometimes saving huge sums in removal costs. This is where ACCL can provide invaluable help, offering sensible and practical advice.

Furthermore, you can store all your asbestos information on our Property Mangement Database where it is available to all who need it before starting work on your properties.

ACCL are skilled and able to:

• Advise which type of survey is most appropriate and cost effective
• Consider both material and priority risk assessments
• Advise what action is needed to remove, encapsulate, or manage
• Write the Management Plan
• Arrange for monitoring
• Train your staff
• Provide storage of and access to asbestos information 24/7
• Suggest ways of ensuring that information about ACM is always given to the people who need it
• Ensure you comply with the Regulations

The risks and consequences in not carrying out your duties under CAR 2006 properly are very serious. Please contact ACCL if you need any help.