Law obligates employers to provide asbestos training to their employees. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the regulating authority for workplace health and safety, enforces this responsibility. Asbestos is an extremely hazardous mineral found in large quantities in both infrastructure and the environment. Asbestos exposure has been linked to the development of cancer and other serious illnesses. Significant suffering and death have occurred as a result of exposure. According to the HSE, over 20 individuals die each week as a result of asbestos-related illness. As a result, providing Asbestos removal Oxford training is both a moral and legal responsibility.
By Law, training is required.
For employees exposed to fiber levels at or above the permissible exposure limit as an 8-hour time-weighted average and the excursion limit, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration require employers to implement and ensure participation in a worker training program. This training program comprises an initial training period whose length is decided by the sort of job performed by the employee and annual refresher training.
Who Needs Asbestos Awareness Training?
All personnel who are interested to come into contact with asbestos in the course of their work and those who supervise them should get asbestos training. Maintenance workers, decorators and painters, plasterers, plumbers, electricians, construction workers, gas fitters, roofers, as well as building surveyors, among others, are likely to require asbestos training. When working with asbestos, Workers who are self-employed should ensure that they have completed the necessary training. This protects them from asbestos exposure and ensures that their work does not put the general public in danger.
What Should Asbestos Training Include?
It’s critical to choose a training provider who covers all areas of asbestos awareness and management. According to the Law, Asbestos training must include the following topics:
- How to identify asbestos-containing materials and asbestos-containing materials (ACMs).
- What to do if you come across asbestos or ACMs to avoid breathing disturbed asbestos fibers.
- The dangers of asbestos exposure to one’s health.
- How asbestos exposure raises the risk of lung cancer and how this risk is amplified when combined with smoking.
- How to work safely with asbestos, including safety precautions and the use of protective gear.
- What to do in the event of a sudden asbestos exposure emergency.
What are the Benefits of Asbestos Awareness Training?
Employers can easily protect their workers’ health while also fulfilling their legal obligations by providing asbestos training. Regular asbestos training provides workers with important knowledge and promotes awareness of asbestos concerns and how they may be mitigated. Employers owe their employees a responsibility of care. Workers should be equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to protect their own and the public’s health.
How frequently should asbestos awareness training take place?
Although there is no legal necessity for an asbestos awareness refresher course every 12 months, it is recommended. Every 12 months, there is a duty to deliver a sufficient asbestos awareness update. Because an update must be presented by someone qualified to do so, most businesses choose to hold a formal meeting. To comply with the regulatory obligation, an asbestos awareness refresher is required every 12 months.
