The Importance of Asbestos Awareness Training
When asbestos is present, the risks to health and safety are severe and long-lasting. Despite being banned in the UK since 1999, asbestos still exists in many older buildings, and disturbing it can release dangerous fibres into the air. Employers and employees must understand these risks and their legal responsibilities, ensuring that those who may encounter asbestos receive proper asbestos awareness training to stay safe and compliant.
What is Asbestos?
If you’re reading this blog, you likely have some understanding of what asbestos. Here’s a reminder:
Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral which was widely used in construction and manufacturing throughout the 20th century due to its heat resistance, strength, and insulating properties. Commonly found in building materials such as insulation, ceiling tiles, floor coverings, and cement products, asbestos was eventually banned in the UK in 1999 when its serious health risks became clear. Despite this ban, asbestos remains present in many older buildings and continues to pose a danger if disturbed.
How Asbestos Can Cause Harm?
When asbestos-containing materials are damaged or disturbed, tiny fibres can be released into the air. These fibres, once inhaled, can lodge in the lungs and cause serious and potentially fatal diseases, as well as non-fatal conditions. These include:
- Mesothelioma – a rare and aggressive cancer of the lining of the lungs or abdomen. More than 80% of mesothelioma cases are caused by asbestos exposure. In the UK, the link is even stronger—over 95% of cases in men, and nearly 85% in women are attributable to asbestos.
- Asbestosis – a chronic lung condition caused by scarring of lung tissue due to prolonged asbestos exposure.
- Lung cancer – strongly associated with asbestos exposure and even more dangerous when combined with smoking.
- Diffuse Pleural Thickening (DPT) – a non-fatal but debilitating condition in which the lining of the lung thickens and reduces lung capacity, causing breathlessness and impairment of pulmonary function.
- Pleural Plaques – non-cancerous lesions on the pleura that are typically asymptomatic and not fatal. They serve as important markers of past asbestos exposure and may indicate a higher risk of developing more serious asbestos-related diseases.
These conditions often take decades to develop, meaning those exposed today may not experience symptoms until many years later. This delay between exposure and the onset of illness is known as the latency period. For asbestos-related diseases, the latency period is typically long—ranging from 10 to 50 years depending on the level and duration of exposure. This makes asbestos particularly dangerous, as individuals may unknowingly be living with damage that will only become apparent decades after the initial exposure. By the time symptoms emerge, diseases such as mesothelioma and asbestosis are often advanced and more difficult to treat.
Why Giving Asbestos Awareness Training a Good Idea?
Asbestos awareness training is not just sensible – it is a legal requirement under Section 10 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012. This section requires employers to ensure that anyone who may come into contact with asbestos during their work is given appropriate information, instruction, and training.
Providing asbestos awareness training makes sense on several levels:
- Moral reasons – Employers have a duty of care to protect workers and others from avoidable harm. Asbestos-related diseases are entirely preventable when the risks are properly managed.
- Legal reasons – Non-compliance with the Control of Asbestos Regulations can lead to prosecution, fines, and enforcement action from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
- Financial reasons – Preventing accidental asbestos exposure avoids costly project delays, compensation claims, legal fees, and reputational damage.
By ensuring staff receive asbestos awareness training, organisations meet their legal obligations while safeguarding both their workforce and business.
Which Asbestos Awareness Training is Best?
There are a range of asbestos awareness training courses available, but the most recognised, respected, and widely accepted is UKATA (UK Asbestos Training Association) Asbestos Awareness training.
UKATA training is trusted across the industry and ensures learners receive high-quality, consistent instruction. Courses are available in two formats:
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Face-to-face classroom training – ideal for organisations that want interactive, instructor-led sessions where learners can ask questions directly. This option is particularly useful for high-risk roles but may involve higher costs and less flexibility in scheduling.
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E-learning – a flexible and cost-effective option that allows learners to complete the course online at their own pace. While convenient and suitable for many workers, it may provide fewer opportunities for real-time discussion and clarification.
Each method has its strengths, and employers should select the most appropriate training format based on their own risk assessment of training needs, ensuring it aligns with the level of asbestos exposure risk within their organisation.
What are the limitations of Asbestos Awareness Training?
Asbestos Awareness training courses are aimed at making the candidates aware of the dangers associated with exposure to airborne asbestos fibres through unknowingly coming into contact with asbestos materials.
This Course DOES NOT train or permit people to work with or to disturb asbestos in any way, it does not meet the legal requirements laid down under CAR 2012. If you plan on disturbing asbestos in any way, further training will be needed.
How Practical Safety Limited Can Help?
Practical Safety Limited is a UKATA-approved training provider, offering both face-to-face and e-learning asbestos awareness courses. Our training is designed to meet legal requirements while being engaging and accessible for learners.
Whether you need group classroom training delivered by an experienced instructor or a convenient online solution, we can help ensure your workforce is protected and compliant.
More information about our asbestos awareness training can be found here.
Conclusion
While the presence of asbestos in buildings cannot always be avoided, the risks can be effectively managed. Employers have a legal duty to provide asbestos awareness training, and workers must stay alert to potential hazards. By combining proper training, safe working practices, and clear communication, the dangers of asbestos exposure can be greatly reduced.
Contact us today to discuss your requirements.
*Disclaimer: Please note that it is the duty of the employer to carry out a suitable and sufficient risk assessment to ensure that adequate controls are in place to protect workers against asbestos exposure – seeking professional advice as they see fit. This page is for information purposes only and does not constitute any legal or professional advice. The information on this page is intended as an overall introduction to providing Asbestos Awareness Training only. Practical Safety Ltd aims to avoid, but accepts no liability, if any information stated is incorrect or out of date.
