IHS Inc. The Source for Critical Information and Insight
Construction |  Change

Advanced Search
 
 

HSC Recommends Revised Asbestos Regulations

September 13, 2006 // Published as a news service by IHS

 
Construction & Engineering Tools
IHS sells products and services designed to meet the needs of today's construction professionals. To learn more, and for a free quote, please complete the form below.
Construction Information Service
Healthcare Building Information
Facilities Mgmt. Information
IHS Standards Expert - Standards DB
Key4architects - Tech library
Specify-it - Catalogue DB
IHS BRE Press Publications
First Name:

Last Name:

Email address:
The U.K. Health and Safety Commission (HSC) recommended approval of revised asbestos regulations. The draft of the Control of Asbestos Regulations was designed to strengthen overall worker protection by reducing exposure limits and introducing detailed mandatory training for work with asbestos. According to HSC, the regulations also will simplify the regulatory regime and implement revisions to the EU Asbestos Worker Protection Directive.

The new regulations introduce a lower single control limit of 0.1 fibres per cm3 of air for work with all types of asbestos and replace three existing sets of regulations. The new regulations draft includes practical guidelines for the determination of "sporadic and low intensity exposure," as required by the EU Directive. The commission also approved two codes of practice, which were designed to provide guidance on regulation compliance.

The proposed single set of regulations will repeal and replace the following:

  • The Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 2002.
  • The Asbestos (Licensing) Regulations 1983, as amended.
  • The Asbestos (Prohibitions) Regulations 1992 (Prohibitions Regulations), as amended.

Under the new regulations, work with textured decorative coatings containing asbestos (TCs) will be removed from the licensing requirements as research shows that the levels of exposure to asbestos fibres from such work are low. The commission previously considered new research on TCs that presented evidence of the relative risks of exposure from different asbestos materials.

At its meeting on 25 July the commission noted that although there were concerns from some stakeholders about the removal of TCs from the licensing regime, it believed that, overall, the proposed regulations significantly tighten the controls on working with asbestos materials. The commission said it is assured that there will be adequate enforcement of the new regime and has requested that the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) monitor the implementation of the regulations. HSE also will be tasked with bringing any concerns about TCs to its attention of the HSC.

According to HSC, all work with asbestos containing materials, including TCs, must be undertaken by trained workers following a risk assessment and in accordance with appropriate controls to prevent exposure to asbestos fibres.

HSE intends to submit full details of the proposed regulations as well as the accompanying approved codes of practice (ACoP) for approval. HSC hopes to implement the regulations before the end of the year, but Parliament and the U.K. Ministers will set the actual timeline.

Source: U.K. Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

IHS BRE books & reports give engineers & architects the critical information they need to remain competitive in today's changing markets. Topics include green building, geotechnics, fire safety engineering and more. For details, visit our IHS BRE Books & Reports page.

CONSTRUCTION & ENGINEERING STANDARDS NEWS
July 15, 2008
Frost: Reduced Energy Goals Push Growth in Euro Green Buildings Market
With all the European Union (EU) member states looking to reduce their energy consumption, new programs such as the Green Building Programme ... more
July 15, 2008
UNIT, ICC Sign Agreement to Promote Building Safety in Uruguay
An agreement between the International Code Council (ICC) and the Instituto Uruguayo de Normas Tecnicas (UNIT) seeks to promote the health, safety ... more
July 8, 2008
NIST Releases 'Positive Pressure Ventilation' DVD
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) engineers recently released "Positive Pressure Ventilation Research: Videos & Reports" ... more
July 3, 2008
PMG Program Releases List of Plumbing, Mechanical Products Meeting Codes, Standards
ICC Evaluation Service Inc. (ICC-ES) issued its first 10 listings for plumbing, mechanical and fuel gas (PMG) products that meet requirements ... more
July 3, 2008
BOMA Int'l, CCI Announce Energy Performance Contract Model
The Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International and the Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI) announced a new BOMA Energy Performance ... more
Show All..