What is asbestos awareness training and who is it for?

According to the UK Asbestos Training Association, the substance remains the UK’s biggest workplace killer, with more than 5,000 deaths related to the material every year. That’s because inhaling asbestos fibres can lead to serious diseases from lung cancer to mesothelioma, which often take years or decades to develop.

The use of asbestos was completely banned across the UK in 1999 due to its health risks, but it’s still important to understand where you might find the stuff, the potential dangers of exposure and how to avoid them and what to do if you disturb asbestos-containing materials, especially if, say, you’re a landlord or work in the construction industry.

And that’s where asbestos training comes in – indeed, completion of the right kind of course is a legal requirement under Regulation 10 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012. This stresses that every employer must provide adequate information, instruction and training if the employee is, or could be, exposed to asbestos, or if they supervise colleagues in that situation.

In a nutshell, there are three broad categories of asbestos awareness training:

• Asbestos Awareness Training (Category A)
• Non-Licensed Asbestos Training (Category B)
• Licensed Asbestos Work ( Category C)

What does asbestos awareness training cover?

Asbestos awareness training is for you if you may come across asbestos in the course of your work, and so could be exposed to the associated risks but, crucially, won’t have to work with or remove it. Roles which could require this training include demolition workers, roofers, plasterers, heating and ventilation engineers, joiners, carpenters and plumbers, among others. This is the most basic type of this kind of training, and provides an overview of:

1. Asbestos’s properties and how to identify this material.
2. The various types of the substance, and where you’re likely to find it.
3. The associated risks for health, including for smokers in particular, and how you can avoid them.
4. The right procedure to follow in the event of an emergency.

EUSR endorsement and why it matters

EUSR stands for Energy & Utility Skills Register (EUSR). Courses endorsed by the body are specific to the utilities sector and aim to teach delegates about the appropriate health and safety procedures in the relevant sectors. When it comes to asbestos awareness training, EUSR accreditation guarantees a high standard of training course, and means that those who complete it thoroughly understand the risks associated with asbestos and know how to identify it and handle it safely.

Attendance at a course like this helps compliance with legal requirements on asbestos awareness and ensures a good basic level of competence for working in energy and utilities. And, crucially, there is assurance that training meets standards which EUSR itself sets.

It’s also a clear demonstration that the employer concerned is firmly committed to worker safety.

Find out more about asbestos in our blog: Uses of asbestos: a brief overview

Asbestos awareness training from Pragmatic Consulting

Pragmatic Consulting provides a half-day asbestos awareness training course, endured by EUSR. There are no particular entry requirements and assessment is via a combination of multiple choice, spoken and written questions alongside on-site assessment.

On completion, EUSR certification remains valid for three years.

Pragmatic was founded some 12 years ago, and we’re passionate about our mission – to deliver high-quality, cost-effective and flexible training and assessment solutions for businesses in the vital utilities and construction sectors.

We care about the impact of our training, and want workers to have the skills and knowledge to be the best at what they do, both now and in the future.

Get in touch today to book your course or to learn more

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