Recommendation 21

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.