A sample of some Question and Answers can be found here. For additional information and to order the fully comprehensive guide, please request a copy here.
What do I need to know about asbestos?
Asbestos kills nearly 4000 people a year and is found in over 3000 products internationally. Used primarily for insulation, fire protection and strengthening building products, it has been imported and used in thousands of different building applications in the UK over the past 100 years.
Head Teachers by virtue of their wider Health and Safety responsibilities also have duty holder responsibilities under the asbestos regulations. The actual degree of responsibility may vary depending on ownership of the school premises and whether it is supported by the state or financed privately.
Either way, it would be prudent for all Head Teachers to have a basic understanding of whether asbestos is likely to be present within the building fabric of their respective premises.
The fact remains that all school premises are required, by law, to have an assessment carried out as to whether asbestos is present or not. With some types of asbestos only finally being banned in the UK in 1999, the majority of school buildings constructed or refurbished prior to this date should in effect be checked and surveyed if required.
Check you know where asbestos is in your school
How does asbestos impact on the running of my school?
If a school is known to contain asbestos and it is in good condition then asbestos should not pose any risk to the site users provided maintenance activities and staff/pupils activities within the site are controlled in manner that prevents asbestos from being damaged. However, if a school premises has known or presumed asbestos, and has refurbishment or demolition works planned, a further assessment must be undertaken ahead of such works commencing. For these types of works, an intrusive asbestos survey, commonly known as a Type 3 asbestos survey will be required, which aims to identify asbestos materials that are present beyond the surface fabric of a building. If asbestos is found, it will increase the programme of works and have a cost implication. Asbestos that requires removal under licence will also be subject to a 14 day notification to the HSE prior to work starting. The different types of asbestos survey are explained at the rear of this book.
Understanding different types of building
Asbestos Containing Materials (ACMs) were used during the construction of system buildings. This approach to building was designed to provide fast and efficient permanent buildings. One popular method is referred to as CLASP where lightweight steel frames required fire protection, particularly on ground floor locations. Here asbestos may be fixed directly to the column or affixed to the metal casing. Other building design systems include: SCOLA, MACE, ONWARD, Method, SEAC and contractor systems such as Hills, Laingspan and Vic Hallam.
The way the school was built will affect where asbestos is found
Who needs to know about asbestos/my asbestos plans?
Anyone who throughout the course of their work could potentially disturb asbestos, needs to know about the school’s asbestos management plan. The asbestos regulations are geared to preventing accidental exposure, so dissemination of asbestos information is key to achieving this.
This may include staff, maintenance contractors and other parties such as the fire brigade who will also need to know where any asbestos is located. The key here is to identify the individuals or persons likely to come in to contact with asbestos as part of their works on site, ensuring that they are adequately informed about its location. Training for these people is now a mandatory requirement of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006.The question of “who needs to know?” comes back to your in-house systems and procedures for disseminating your asbestos records which should be clearly detailed in your asbestos management plan - more on this later.
Staffing and maintenance contractors should be top of the list
Who is accountable?
The school should nominate a person to be responsible for ensuring asbestos records are maintained and are effectively disseminated to those that need them.
The Head Teacher / School Business Manager / Bursar and Local Authority (where applicable) will have accountability for ensuring compliance. In order to ensure asbestos procedures are followed and that records are kept up to date, it is advisable to allocate responsibility to an individual that can facilitate these requirements. However, this role should only be carried out by someone that has received adequate training and instruction and can demonstrate a degree of competence fitting for the role. Alternatively, a professional third party (individual or consultancy), may be engaged to take on parts or all of this role, although someone within the school should still be identified as the nominated person responsible for instructing that third party.
Nominated persons need to be trained
What is an asbestos register and how should I develop one?
An asbestos register is a document containing information regarding the location of asbestos within a school. Based on an initial survey (more on this later) the register should also contain information regarding risk assessments that have been conducted for each item of asbestos that is either presumed or confirmed as being asbestos through testing.
If a site could contain asbestos and no register exists, a survey of the site should be conducted by a UKAS accredited company, or an individual surveyor who is fully competent to undertake asbestos surveys. The report should be easy to use and understand. Drawings should be provided that clearly indicate where asbestos items are located. You should consider that your asbestos register will need updating on regular basis. The asbestos regulations require every asbestos item to be checked every 6-12 months.
Consequently, the asbestos register will need to be updated at this time and also when project works have been undertaken where asbestos may have been removed or encapsulated.
Information about the location of asbestos needs to be thorough
What do I need to know about asbestos?
Asbestos kills nearly 4000 people a year and is found in over 3000 products internationally. Used primarily for insulation, fire protection and strengthening building products, it has been imported and used in thousands of different building applications in the UK over the past 100 years.
Head Teachers by virtue of their wider Health and Safety responsibilities also have duty holder responsibilities under the asbestos regulations. The actual degree of responsibility may vary depending on ownership of the school premises and whether it is supported by the state or financed privately.
Either way, it would be prudent for all Head Teachers to have a basic understanding of whether asbestos is likely to be present within the building fabric of their respective premises.
The fact remains that all school premises are required, by law, to have an assessment carried out as to whether asbestos is present or not. With some types of asbestos only finally being banned in the UK in 1999, the majority of school buildings constructed or refurbished prior to this date should in effect be checked and surveyed if required.
Check you know where asbestos is in your school
How does asbestos impact on the running of my school?
If a school is known to contain asbestos and it is in good condition then asbestos should not pose any risk to the site users provided maintenance activities and staff/pupils activities within the site are controlled in manner that prevents asbestos from being damaged. However, if a school premises has known or presumed asbestos, and has refurbishment or demolition works planned, a further assessment must be undertaken ahead of such works commencing. For these types of works, an intrusive asbestos survey, commonly known as a Type 3 asbestos survey will be required, which aims to identify asbestos materials that are present beyond the surface fabric of a building. If asbestos is found, it will increase the programme of works and have a cost implication. Asbestos that requires removal under licence will also be subject to a 14 day notification to the HSE prior to work starting. The different types of asbestos survey are explained at the rear of this book.
Understanding different types of building
Asbestos Containing Materials (ACMs) were used during the construction of system buildings. This approach to building was designed to provide fast and efficient permanent buildings. One popular method is referred to as CLASP where lightweight steel frames required fire protection, particularly on ground floor locations. Here asbestos may be fixed directly to the column or affixed to the metal casing. Other building design systems include: SCOLA, MACE, ONWARD, Method, SEAC and contractor systems such as Hills, Laingspan and Vic Hallam.
The way the school was built will affect where asbestos is found
Who needs to know about asbestos/my asbestos plans?
Anyone who throughout the course of their work could potentially disturb asbestos, needs to know about the school’s asbestos management plan. The asbestos regulations are geared to preventing accidental exposure, so dissemination of asbestos information is key to achieving this.
This may include staff, maintenance contractors and other parties such as the fire brigade who will also need to know where any asbestos is located. The key here is to identify the individuals or persons likely to come in to contact with asbestos as part of their works on site, ensuring that they are adequately informed about its location. Training for these people is now a mandatory requirement of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006.The question of “who needs to know?” comes back to your in-house systems and procedures for disseminating your asbestos records which should be clearly detailed in your asbestos management plan - more on this later.
Staffing and maintenance contractors should be top of the list
Who is accountable?
The school should nominate a person to be responsible for ensuring asbestos records are maintained and are effectively disseminated to those that need them.
The Head Teacher / School Business Manager / Bursar and Local Authority (where applicable) will have accountability for ensuring compliance. In order to ensure asbestos procedures are followed and that records are kept up to date, it is advisable to allocate responsibility to an individual that can facilitate these requirements. However, this role should only be carried out by someone that has received adequate training and instruction and can demonstrate a degree of competence fitting for the role. Alternatively, a professional third party (individual or consultancy), may be engaged to take on parts or all of this role, although someone within the school should still be identified as the nominated person responsible for instructing that third party.
Nominated persons need to be trained
What is an asbestos register and how should I develop one?
An asbestos register is a document containing information regarding the location of asbestos within a school. Based on an initial survey (more on this later) the register should also contain information regarding risk assessments that have been conducted for each item of asbestos that is either presumed or confirmed as being asbestos through testing.
If a site could contain asbestos and no register exists, a survey of the site should be conducted by a UKAS accredited company, or an individual surveyor who is fully competent to undertake asbestos surveys. The report should be easy to use and understand. Drawings should be provided that clearly indicate where asbestos items are located. You should consider that your asbestos register will need updating on regular basis. The asbestos regulations require every asbestos item to be checked every 6-12 months.
Consequently, the asbestos register will need to be updated at this time and also when project works have been undertaken where asbestos may have been removed or encapsulated.
Information about the location of asbestos needs to be thorough
