The UKATA Asbestos Awareness Training Course is designed for people whose work could bring them into contact with asbestos-containing materials (ACMs), particularly when working in buildings constructed or refurbished before asbestos was fully banned in the UK.
This half-day course provides practical awareness of where asbestos may be found, what it can look like and, importantly, what workers should do if they encounter or accidentally disturb a suspected ACM.
A common mistake on construction and maintenance sites is assuming asbestos will always be obvious. In practice, ACMs can be hidden within insulation boards, textured coatings, pipe lagging, ceiling tiles, cement products and other building materials.
Our UKATA asbestos course focuses on helping delegates recognise these situations before work puts them or others at risk.
Training covers the health effects associated with asbestos exposure, common ACMs and their typical locations, how asbestos fibres can be released, and the responsibilities placed on employers and workers under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012.
Delegates also learn what action to take when suspected asbestos is discovered. The course is awareness training and does not qualify delegates to remove or carry out work on asbestos-containing materials.
The UKATA approved asbestos awareness training course is suitable for anyone who may encounter asbestos during their work but is not employed to carry out asbestos removal.
One situation we frequently see is experienced tradespeople attending asbestos awareness training because their role has changed. A worker who previously dealt mainly with newer properties may begin refurbishment, maintenance or installation work in older buildings, significantly increasing the likelihood of encountering ACMs.
The training is particularly relevant for:
Problem: A facilities team responsible for maintaining several older commercial buildings needed asbestos awareness training because staff regularly carried out drilling, minor repairs and access work.
Action: The team completed UKATA asbestos awareness training covering typical ACM locations, pre-work checks, asbestos information and emergency procedures.
Result: Supervisors introduced a more consistent pre-work checking process, and operatives had a clearer understanding of when work should stop and further asbestos information should be obtained.
The important outcome was not simply completing training. It was improving how asbestos risk was considered before routine maintenance work began.
Problem: An asbestos removal contractor was preparing several newly recruited operatives for supervised site work. Although they had completed basic asbestos awareness training, they had limited understanding of enclosure procedures and decontamination.
Action: The operatives completed the relevant licensed asbestos removal course, covering controlled working techniques, RPE, enclosure procedures, waste handling, decontamination and emergency arrangements.
Result: Supervisors found that new operatives entered site work with a clearer understanding of controlled-area procedures and why each stage had to be followed in sequence. This reduced the amount of basic procedural correction required during their initial supervised work.
Need training for several employees? Private UKATA asbestos courses can be arranged for groups, making it easier to train teams together and minimise disruption to normal operations.
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