Licensed Asbestos Removal

Licensed asbestos removal involves handling high-risk asbestos materials, which must be managed by a licensed contractor. The decision to require licensing depends on the level of exposure and associated risks.

According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), any asbestos exposure that is not sporadic or of low intensity is classified as licensed asbestos removal work.

A license is also mandatory for removing significant amounts of loose asbestos debris if it exceeds low-intensity exposure or the control limit.

The control limit for exposure is set at 0.1 asbestos fibres per cubic centimetre of air, averaged over a four-hour period.

 

Examples of Licensed Asbestos Removal

    • Asbestos Insulating Board (AIB)
    • Sprayed coatings (e.g., limpet asbestos)
    • Work that may disturb pipe lagging
    • Projects involving loose-fill insulation

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Non-Notifiable Asbestos Removal

Non-licensed asbestos removal refers to tasks where a license is not required to perform the work.

This is determined by assessing the level of risk posed by the asbestos materials, which depends on factors such as the type of asbestos, its friability, and the expected exposure levels.

According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), for asbestos removal to be considered non-licensed, the exposure must be sporadic and of low intensity.

The concentration of airborne asbestos fibres must not exceed 0.6 fibres per cubic centimetre (f/cm³) over a 10-minute period during a risk assessment.

Additionally, a secondary test over four hours must confirm that airborne fibre levels remain below 0.1 f/cm³.

Examples of Non-Licensed Asbestos Removal

  • Asbestos Cement
  • Asbestos Textured Coatings
  • Asbestos Floor Tiles
  • Asbestos Textiles
  • Asbestos Composites

 

Notifiable Non-Licensed Asbestos Removal

Certain types of non-licensed asbestos work require additional precautions and are classified as notifiable non-licensed work.

This typically applies when a substantial amount of non-licensed asbestos material has been significantly damaged or dispersed over a large area.

Such work requires notifying the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and adhering to stricter documentation and monitoring requirements.

Operators must be adequately trained, demonstrate competence, undergo medical surveillance every three years, and maintain detailed health records.

Examples of Notifiable Non-Licensed Asbestos Removal

  • Extensive removal of asbestos-textured decorative coatings using steaming or gelling methods.
  • Asbestos cement products that have been heavily damaged or fragmented (e.g., due to fire or flooding) or where removal will likely break the cement sheeting, releasing significant amounts of asbestos dust.

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