Recommendation 25

HM Government Acknowledged

In GB an asbestos survey (which includes taking material samples) must be undertaken by a person competent to do so as set out in HSG264 Asbestos: The Survey Guide. Whilst the survey guide is goal setting in nature HSE strongly recommend the use of surveying organisations which are UKAS accredited (RG8 Accreditation of Bodies Surveying for Asbestos). HSE engages regularly with the British Occupational Hygiene Society’s (BOHS) Faculty of Asbestos Assessment and Management (FAAM); the professional group for all practitioners who manage and assess asbestos, local authorities, UKAS, surveyor groups, IOSH, trade associations and training bodies to ensure activity remains focused on ensuring standards and competence are maintained. Recognising the evidence presented at the inquiry in this area, HSE will now engage with stakeholders to consider this further and how we can collectively ensure that competence is enabled throughout the system. In Great Britain it is a legal requirement for every analyst undertaking the certification process, following asbestos removal, to be UKAS accredited, regardless of who they are appointed by. As part of this accreditation the analyst is required to show impartiality and independence. HSE has recently strengthened and expanded its guidance on professional standards in the revised publication HSG248 Asbestos: The Analysts’ Guide published in 2021. This strongly recommends that the analyst is independently sourced and employed by the building owner or occupier in control of the premises. HSE engages regularly with UKAS to ensure the maintenance of professional standards and with analyst trade bodies, through the Asbestos Network, and at HSE site inspections to support the standards of impartiality expected. However, HSE recognises the evidence presented to the inquiry and we will engage with stakeholders to consider how that guidance can be reinforced further.