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Asbestos Specialists

Asbestos Compliance:
Surveys, Management, and Training for UK Businesses

CAR 2012 · HSG264 · Management Surveys · Awareness Training

A guide to asbestos compliance for UK businesses. This page covers the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (CAR 2012), the duty to manage, asbestos surveys, asbestos management plans, awareness training, and sector-specific guidance for offices, landlords, care homes, and schools. Written by Chartered health and safety consultants.

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ASBESTOS

What Is Asbestos?

Asbestos is the common name for a group of six naturally occurring fibrous minerals (chrysotile, amosite, crocidolite, tremolite, anthophyllite, and actinolite) that share two characteristics: exceptional resistance to heat, chemicals, and wear, and fibres fine enough to be inhaled and retained in the lungs.

Three types were used in UK construction in significant quantities. Chrysotile (white asbestos) is the most common and was used in cement products, floor tiles, textured coatings, and insulation boards. Amosite (brown asbestos) was commonly used in insulation boards, pipe lagging, and sprayed coatings. Crocidolite (blue asbestos) was the most hazardous and was used in sprayed coatings, lagging, and some insulation products. All three are prohibited today but remain present in millions of UK buildings constructed before 2000.

Asbestos causes serious respiratory diseases including mesothelioma (an aggressive cancer of the lung lining), asbestosis (progressive lung scarring), lung cancer, and pleural thickening. Approximately 5,000 people die in the UK each year from asbestos-related disease, according to HSE statistics. Deaths today relate to exposures that occurred decades ago; current controls aim to prevent future deaths.

For broader context on workplace hazardous substances, see our health and safety audit guide.

CAR 2012

The Legal Framework:
Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012

Asbestos in the workplace is governed by the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (CAR 2012), which consolidated and replaced the earlier asbestos regulations. CAR 2012 sits alongside the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and applies across Great Britain. Northern Ireland operates parallel regulations (Control of Asbestos Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012).

CAR 2012 distinguishes between three categories of work:

1

Licensed asbestos work

Higher-risk work on friable asbestos (sprayed coatings, lagging, insulation boards) that requires a licence from the HSE. Must be performed by licensed contractors.

2

Notifiable non-licensed work (NNLW)

Lower-risk but still controlled work that does not require a licence but must be notified to the relevant enforcing authority. Requires worker health records and medicals.

3

Non-licensed work

Work on the lowest-risk asbestos-containing materials (asbestos cement, textured decorative coatings). Does not require a licence or notification but is still subject to worker training and control requirements.

Supporting guidance includes HSG264 (asbestos surveys), HSG227 (asbestos management in premises), HSG210 (asbestos essentials for non-licensed work), and HSG247 (work with asbestos in buildings under licence). See also COSHH for related hazardous substances regulations.

REGULATION 4

The Duty to
Manage Asbestos

Regulation 4 of CAR 2012 places a specific 'duty to manage' on every person who has a duty to maintain or repair non-domestic premises. This is the central legal obligation for asbestos in UK workplaces.

The dutyholder must:

1

Find out whether the premises contain asbestos by inspecting the building, reviewing construction records, and commissioning an asbestos management survey. For pre-2000 buildings, the starting assumption should be that asbestos is present unless proven otherwise.

2

Assess the condition and risk of any asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) identified. Different ACMs present different risks; the assessment determines the priority for management.

3

Prepare and implement a written asbestos management plan setting out how the identified ACMs will be managed, who is responsible, what controls are in place, and how the plan will be reviewed.

4

Maintain an asbestos register recording every ACM's location, type, condition, and management arrangement. The register must be kept up to date and made available to anyone working in the premises who might disturb the material.

5

Review the plan and register at least annually and whenever circumstances change (refurbishment, damage to materials, new occupants).

6

Provide information to anyone likely to disturb asbestos (maintenance workers, contractors, tenants) before they start work.

The duty applies to non-domestic premises including offices, shops, warehouses, factories, schools, hospitals, and the common parts of domestic premises (flats, HMOs, blocks of apartments). Landlords have a specific duty to manage asbestos in the common areas of residential buildings.

SURVEYS

Asbestos Surveys:
Management, Refurbishment, and Demolition

The asbestos survey is the starting point for CAR 2012 compliance. HSG264 defines the three types of survey:

1

Asbestos Management Survey

The routine survey for occupied buildings. Identifies asbestos-containing materials that could be disturbed during normal occupation and maintenance. Does not require damaging investigation of inaccessible areas. Produces an asbestos register covering the accessible parts of the building. Suitable for ongoing management of an in-use building.

2

Asbestos Refurbishment Survey

Required before any refurbishment work that could disturb the fabric of the building. More intrusive than a management survey: accesses voids, ceiling cavities, riser cupboards, and other areas that would not be inspected in routine use. Must identify all asbestos-containing materials in the area to be refurbished before work starts.

3

Asbestos Demolition Survey

Required before any demolition. The most intrusive survey type: comprehensively identifies all asbestos throughout the structure, including areas that would otherwise remain inaccessible. Essential for demolition planning, licensed removal contractor briefing, and waste management.

4

Asbestos Sampling and Testing

Individual suspected materials can be sampled and tested by a UKAS-accredited laboratory. Sampling is typically part of a wider survey but can also be commissioned standalone where specific materials need identification. Results typically available within 3-10 working days.

5

Asbestos Re-inspection

The asbestos register must be updated through periodic re-inspection. For stable, well-managed ACMs, annual re-inspection is typical. For materials in poorer condition or in higher-risk locations, more frequent re-inspection may be required. Re-inspection verifies that previously identified ACMs remain in the same condition and identifies any deterioration requiring action.

LOCATIONS

Where Asbestos Is Found
in UK Buildings

Asbestos was used extensively in UK construction between the 1950s and 1999. Every pre-2000 building should be assumed to contain asbestos unless surveyed. Common locations include:

1

Ceiling and wall materials

Textured coatings (Artex is the most common), asbestos insulation board (AIB) in ceiling tiles and wall panels, sprayed coatings on structural beams and columns.

2

Floor finishes

Vinyl floor tiles and sheet vinyl with asbestos backing, particularly common in offices built between 1960 and 1985.

3

Pipes and lagging

Pipe insulation, boiler lagging, and thermal insulation around mechanical services. Most common in plant rooms, risers, and basements.

4

Fire protection

Fire doors (particularly older doors with AIB cores), fire-resistant partitioning, fireproof board in service risers.

5

Cement products

Corrugated asbestos cement roofing and wall cladding (particularly in warehouses and outbuildings), asbestos cement rainwater goods, soffits, and flue pipes.

6

Electrical

Asbestos-containing switchgear, fuse boards with asbestos flash guards, asbestos cloth on cable tails.

Common high-risk activities that disturb asbestos in office buildings include drilling walls to install cable trunking or signage, removing ceiling tiles to access voids, refurbishment of toilets and kitchens, removal of vinyl flooring, and IT installation work involving drilling.

BY SECTOR

Asbestos Management by
Premises Type

The duty to manage applies across all non-domestic premises, but the practical management approach varies by sector. Arinite delivers sector-specific asbestos compliance support across the types below.

1

Asbestos in Offices

Most UK offices built before 2000 contain asbestos somewhere in the fabric. The most common office asbestos risks are textured ceiling coatings, vinyl floor tiles, and AIB in ceiling voids or service risers. Office asbestos is usually low-risk if undisturbed but becomes high-risk during refurbishment, IT installation, or maintenance work. A current asbestos management survey and register are the foundation.

2

Asbestos for Landlords and Multi-Occupied Buildings

Residential landlords of multi-occupied buildings have a duty to manage asbestos in common areas (corridors, stairwells, plant rooms, roof voids). The duty does not extend inside individual flats rented under standard leases. For commercial landlords, the duty covers the whole building unless specific responsibilities are transferred to tenants under the lease.

3

Asbestos in Schools and Academies

Approximately 78% of UK schools contain asbestos, with particular prevalence in system-built schools constructed 1945-1975 (CLASP, SCOLA, SEAC systems). Schools face heightened management challenges: vulnerable occupants, intensive building use, frequent minor maintenance, and limited closure windows for survey and remedial work. DfE guidance supplements CAR 2012 with sector-specific expectations.

4

Asbestos in Care Homes and Healthcare

Care homes and healthcare facilities face the combined challenge of vulnerable occupants and the frequent minor works (fitting grab rails, installing equipment, repairing damaged surfaces) that can disturb asbestos. Management must balance operational continuity with strict disturbance control.

5

Asbestos in Industrial and Warehouse Premises

Older industrial premises commonly contain asbestos cement roofing and cladding, pipe lagging, and sprayed coatings on structural steelwork. Warehouse and distribution operators frequently inherit asbestos issues on acquisition or lease of older premises.

TRAINING

Asbestos Awareness and
Non-Licensed Training

CAR 2012 requires every employee whose work is liable to disturb asbestos to receive appropriate information, instruction, and training. There are three levels of training:

A

Category A: Asbestos Awareness

For all employees who may come into contact with asbestos during their work: office managers, facilities staff, maintenance teams, and contractors working in occupied premises. Covers the properties of asbestos, the health risks, the types of ACMs and their likely locations, the asbestos register and its purpose, what to do if asbestos is suspected or encountered, and emergency procedures. Delivered annually.

B

Category B: Non-Licensed Work

For employees who perform hands-on work that may disturb asbestos cement, textured coatings, or other lower-risk ACMs. Covers everything in Category A plus practical training on controls, equipment, decontamination, and waste handling. Delivered before starting work and refreshed annually.

C

Category C: Licensed Work

For employees of licensed asbestos contractors. Substantially more extensive, with formal examination and certification requirements.

Arinite delivers Category A (asbestos awareness training) on-site or online for office-based businesses and their facilities teams. For Category B and C training, we refer to specialist asbestos training providers. See our full health and safety training offer.

REMOVE OR MANAGE

Remove or Manage?
The Compliance Decision

A common misconception is that asbestos must be removed wherever it is found. CAR 2012 does not require removal. It requires management.

In most cases, asbestos in good condition and unlikely to be disturbed is safer left in place and managed. Removal carries its own risks: disturbance of fibres during removal, ongoing exposure for removal workers, waste disposal costs and risks, and potential disturbance of adjacent materials.

Removal is the appropriate response when:

1

The material is in poor condition and cannot be effectively encapsulated or repaired.

2

The material will be disturbed by planned refurbishment or demolition.

3

Licensed asbestos (sprayed coatings, lagging, friable AIB in accessible locations) presents higher ongoing risk than removal.

4

Regulatory or client requirements specifically mandate removal.

A competent assessment comparing the risks of removal versus continued management is the starting point for any decision. Arinite's Chartered consultants provide that assessment independently of removal contractors, so the recommendation is based on the actual risk rather than the commercial interest of the contractor.

HOW WE HELP

How Arinite Delivers
Asbestos Compliance

Arinite's Chartered health and safety consultants deliver asbestos compliance as a standalone service or as part of an ongoing outsourced health and safety package. The service covers the full compliance cycle:

1

Asbestos management surveys and refurbishment surveys

Conducted to HSG264 standards by UKAS-accredited surveyors, with reports delivered typically within 2-3 weeks of the site visit.

2

Asbestos management plan development

Tailored to the specific premises and ACMs identified, with clear responsibilities, controls, and review schedules.

3

Asbestos register maintenance

Within Arinite's health and safety software platform. The register is version-controlled, accessible to authorised users, and automatically prompts re-inspection schedules.

4

Asbestos awareness training

For office-based teams and facilities personnel.

5

Refurbishment and maintenance oversight

We review contractor proposals before work starts, verify asbestos awareness of contractor staff, and supervise high-risk activities to ensure the register and management plan are honoured.

6

Incident response

If asbestos is disturbed unexpectedly, we provide immediate guidance on containment, notification, and remediation.

For businesses on Done For You or Done With You packages, asbestos compliance is included in the service.

PRICING

How Much Does
Asbestos Compliance Cost?

Costs depend on premises type, building age and size, and the scope of services required. Every engagement is scoped and priced individually. Common shapes include:

£

Asbestos management survey

Tailored quote for a single building, scoped individually for larger, more complex, or multi-building premises.

£

Asbestos refurbishment survey

Bespoke quote for a defined scope area, higher for extensive or unusual buildings.

£

Asbestos demolition survey

Scoped individually against the specific demolition proposal.

£

Asbestos sampling and laboratory testing

Priced per sample with UKAS-accredited laboratory analysis.

£

Asbestos management plan development

Following a survey: tailored quote depending on complexity.

£

Asbestos awareness training

Tailored quote per session for up to 12 delegates on-site.

Ongoing asbestos compliance (management plan maintenance, re-inspection coordination, incident support) for businesses on Arinite's Done For You or Done With You packages: included in the monthly fee. or Done With You packages: included in the monthly fee.

For multi-site portfolios, asbestos surveys are typically scoped in multi-site programmes significantly more efficiently than site-by-site commissioning.

Get Your Asbestos Compliance Right

Asbestos is the single largest occupational health issue in the UK, causing approximately 5,000 deaths per year. It is also the leading cause of HSE enforcement action in the buildings sector. Getting asbestos compliance right protects people and protects the business.

Book a free gap analysis call. In 30 minutes, one of our Chartered consultants will review your current asbestos arrangements, identify the gaps that matter, and recommend the right approach for your premises.

Book My Free Gap Analysis Call+44 (0)20 7947 9581