Revised asbestos regulations
August 1st 2006

The Health and Safety Commission has informed Ministers that it will recommend approval of revised asbestos regulations.

The draft Control of Asbestos Regulations have been the subject of extensive consultation and will strengthen overall worker protection by reducing exposure limits and introducing mandatory training for work with asbestos. They will also 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. They also include guidelines for the determination of 'sporadic and low intensity exposure'.

Under the new Regulations, work with textured decorative coatings containing asbestos will be removed from the licensing regime as research shows that the levels of exposure to asbestos fibres from such work are low.

The Commission noted that although there were concerns from some stakeholders about the removal of TCs from the licensing regime, it believes that, overall, the proposed Regulations significantly tighten controls on working with asbestos materials.

Timing is a matter for Ministers and Parliament, but HSC aims to have the Regulations in place before the end of the year.

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