HSC Recommends Revised Asbestos Regulations

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

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).