Source · Select Committees · Work and Pensions Committee
Recommendation 21
21
Paragraph: 111
Currently in Great Britain, some asbestos removal work does not need to be undertaken by...
Conclusion
Currently in Great Britain, some asbestos removal work does not need to be undertaken by a licensed contractor but some of this will still need to be notified to HSE before work starts. The three-way categorisation of work is confusing and of questionable value. Reducing the number of categories and requiring a greater proportion of asbestos removal to be done by licensed contractors—possibly by The Health and Safety Executive’s approach to asbestos management 51 further tightening the control limit on expected asbestos fibre exposures or reducing the types and conditions of asbestos materials that are exempted from licensed work—could lead to fewer accidental exposures and better disposal practices. There is, however, a risk that extending the requirement to use licensed contractors could have unintended consequences and any changes will need to be considered carefully. HSE should use its five-yearly review of the asbestos regulations to assess the merits of the current categorisation of asbestos works.
Paragraph Reference:
111
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
As set out, HSE has considered whether any of the inquiry findings are relevant to the scope and evidence which was gathered as part of the PIR. In this instance, evidence was provided as part of the PIR research that simplification of categories set out within the regulations should be explored further. Licensing is an exacting approach including checks by HSE inspectors of license applications and the actual performance of licensed contractors. CAR was remade in 2012 when the EU extended the need for notification of work and medicals and ‘Notifiable Non- Licensed Work’ was introduced as a term. Both the PIR and inquiry evidence suggest that the requirements would benefit from more clarity in this area and HSE will now consider how this could be developed further with stakeholders. Any change to the regulations would be subject to a full impact assessment and consultation.