HSE revise Asbestos Essentials guidance

Published on Mon 26 May 2008

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has revised its guidelines for tradesmen who may come into contact with asbestos during their work, reports Safety and Health Practitioner.

'Asbestos Essentials' covers work with asbestos that does not need a licence. It contains best practice advice and instructions on how to reduce the threat of exposure to asbestos dust.

Safety and Health Practitioner identifies the following groups as most likely to encounter asbestos during the course of their work:

• electricians, joiners, plumbers, gas fitters, shop fitters, heating and ventilation engineers;
• labourers, roofers, plasterers, demolition workers and other workers in construction;
• phone and data engineers, alarm installers; and
• surveyors, general maintenance engineers, painters and decorators

Asbestos Essential is available to download from the HSE website.