HSC approves revised asbestos regulations

Citation

(2006), "HSC approves revised asbestos regulations", Structural Survey, Vol. 24 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/ss.2006.11024eab.003

HSC approves revised asbestos regulations

Keywords: Asbestos, Regulations, Coatings

The Health and Safety Commission (HSC) 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 detailed 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 practical guidelines for the determination of “sporadic and low intensity exposure”, as required by the EU Directive. The Commission also approved two Approved Codes of Practice which provide guidance on compliance with the Regulations. Under the new Regulations, work with textured decorative coatings containing asbestos (TCs) will be removed from the licensing regime as research shows that the levels of exposure to asbestos fibres from such work are low.