Types of Asbestos Work

CAR 2012 divides work with asbestos into how many categories?

• AFour — domestic, commercial, industrial and public
• BTwo — licensed and unlicensed
• CThree — licensed, notifiable and non-licensed✓
• DOne — all asbestos work is licensed

Answer: The three categories reflect risk: licensed work is the highest risk, notifiable non-licensed work (NNLW) sits in the middle, and lower-risk non-licensed work sits at the bottom.

Who may carry out licensed asbestos work?

• AAny competent tradesperson with awareness training
• BA contractor holding a licence issued by the HSE✓
• CAnyone, provided they wear a dust mask
• DAny employee whose employer signs a permit

Answer: Licensed work can only be done by an HSE-licensed contractor. Awareness training does not permit anyone to work on asbestos at all, let alone licensed work.

Work on which material would normally require a licensed contractor?

• AA sealed asbestos floor tile that is not being removed
• BAn intact textured coating that is not being disturbed
• CSprayed asbestos coating on structural steel✓
• DUndamaged asbestos cement roof sheets left in place

Answer: Sprayed coatings and lagging are high-risk, loosely bound materials and are licensed work. Asbestos cement and well-bound products are lower risk and often non-licensed.

What does NNLW stand for?

• ANotifiable non-licensed work✓
• BNational non-licensed waste
• CNon-notifiable licensed work
• DNotifiable nuisance level work

Answer: NNLW is work that does not need a licence but must still be notified to the enforcing authority, with health records kept and medical examinations arranged.

Which additional requirements apply to notifiable non-licensed work but not to ordinary non-licensed work?

• AComplete demolition of the building afterwards
• BApproval from the local planning department
• CNotification, health records and medical examinations✓
• DA four-stage clearance certificate and an HSE licence

Answer: NNLW adds notification, health records and medicals. The four-stage clearance and licence belong to licensed work, which is a higher tier again.

Before licensed asbestos removal work begins, what must the contractor do?

• ANotify the enforcing authority in advance✓
• BPublish a notice in the local newspaper
• CNotify the building insurer only
• DObtain planning permission

Answer: Licensed work must be notified to the enforcing authority (usually HSE) before it starts, normally at least 14 days in advance, alongside a written plan of work.

What is the purpose of the four-stage clearance procedure after licensed removal?

• ATo confirm the area is safe to re-enter✓
• BTo decide how much to charge the client
• CTo count how many bags of waste were produced
• DTo record the names of everyone who worked on site

Answer: Four-stage clearance — site check, visual inspection, air testing and final assessment — is carried out by an accredited analyst to verify the enclosure is genuinely clean before reoccupation.

Does an asbestos awareness course qualify you to remove asbestos?

• ANo — it teaches you to avoid disturbing it✓
• BYes, for any material below the control limit
• CYes, for all non-licensed work
• DYes, provided you wear a respirator

Answer: Awareness training is category A: recognise, avoid, report. Working on asbestos requires further non-licensed or licensed training appropriate to the task.

Which of these is most likely to be non-licensed work?

• ALarge-scale removal of asbestos insulating board from a ceiling
• BStripping asbestos lagging from a run of heating pipework
• CRemoving a few undamaged asbestos cement sheets✓
• DRemoving sprayed asbestos coating from a structural steel frame

Answer: Asbestos cement is well bound and lower risk, so limited work on it can be non-licensed. Lagging, sprayed coatings and most AIB work are licensed.

Who decides which category a particular job falls into?

• AThe budget the client has available to spend on the job
• BThe size and turnover of the contractor carrying out the work
• CThe day of the week on which the work is scheduled to happen
• DA risk assessment of the material and the work✓

Answer: Category depends on fibre release risk — the material type, its condition and how much it will be disturbed. That judgement comes from the risk assessment, not commercial factors.

Which document must be prepared before licensed asbestos work starts?

• AA marketing brochure for the client
• BA written plan of work kept available at the site✓
• CA copy of the contractor’s annual accounts
• DA demolition schedule for the whole building

Answer: A plan of work sets out the method, controls, equipment and emergency arrangements. It must be kept at the site for the duration of the work.

Is asbestos work ever permitted without any training at all?

• ANo — anyone whose work may disturb asbestos must have suitable training✓
• BYes — provided a trained supervisor watches the work being done
• CYes — for jobs expected to last less than one hour in total
• DYes — in domestic properties, which fall outside the regulations

Answer: Regulation 10 requires suitable information, instruction and training for anyone liable to disturb asbestos. There is no exemption for short jobs or domestic settings.

What is the short-term exposure limit for asbestos?

• A6.0 fibres per cm³ averaged over 10 minutes
• B0.1 fibres per cm³ averaged over 10 minutes
• C0.6 fibres per cm³ averaged over 10 minutes✓
• D0.6 fibres per cm³ averaged over 4 hours

Answer: Alongside the four-hour control limit of 0.1 f/cm³, a short-term limit of 0.6 f/cm³ over 10 minutes applies to brief peak exposures.