Posted By Chas If the exposure exceeds or is likely to exceed an action level, the regs in CAWR on notification, designated areas and medical surveillance apply. Refer to HSG 189/2 Working with Asbestos cement

Posted By Chas Further to my earlier response, I suspect that the people you are talking to are confusing what is or is not a licensable activity with what is a notifiable activity.

Posted By kelvin Hello there, From experience notifyable removal of asbestos is when it must be carried out by a liscenced removal contractor. Generally a composite material i.e. bitumen products, vinyl tiles, cement products, reinforced PVC products, resin based materials, mastics etc do not require removal by a liscenced contractor. The liscenced contractor if compotent will notify the HSE prior to works being undertaken. I realise that you are not specifically talking about removal, however if works are likely to disturb non-composite materials i.e. lagging, AIB, teaxtile, packing, loose asbestos ect then these items should be removed prior to works commencing. There are plenty of guidence notes on asbestos but through experience there are no specific guidlines to say yay or neigh. For example textured coating or 'artex' contains normally less than 5% of chrysotile and can be classed as highly friable therefore removal is notifyable. After much dispute with clients and the HSE solutions for artex removal it is usually left up to the competent persons descretion. I believe problems like this are being reviewed and suitable criterias will be established. Hope this helps kelvin

Posted By Robert S Randall Thanks Kelvin and Chas, I am inclined to agree with Chas re the distinction between a licensable activity and a notifiable activity. Even if an activity is not licensable it may still be notifiable if the exposure is likely to exceed the action levels. Bob

Posted By Dave Wilson You need to read Work with asbestos which does not normally require a licence (4th Ed) Approved Code of Practice L27 HSE 2002 ISBN 0 7176 2562 1. Basically from the ACoP (a) any work with AC (Asb Cement) (eg cleaning, painting, repair or removal of AC materials and demolition or dismantling of structures containing AC (b) any work with materials of bitumen,plastic, resins or rubber which contain asbestos, the thermal and acoustic properties of which are incidental to its main purpose (eg activites as above for AC) and (c) minor work with Asbestos insulation, asbestos coating and Asbestos Insulating Board (AIB) which because of its limited extent and duration does not require a licence (eg drilling holes, reoairing minor damage, painting, removal of a single panel of AIB. MINOR WORK is classed as where either (a) any person who carries out the work spends less than a total of 1 hour in any seven days; or (b) the total time spent n the work by all people working on it does nor exceed 2 hours. More extensive work under reg 3 of 83 licencing regs, requires a licence from the HSE and ACOP L28 applies. (unles work is carried out by employers with their own workers working on their own premises) Notification applies only for the first time at the employers premises if it is liable to expose employees to levels aove the appropriate action level. My take is if you are painting etc and not doing anything which will disturb it then no need to notify, but if you are doing anything which could release fibres then notify. Hope that helps. So if it is more than any of the above then you will need a Licenced asbestos removal contractor to do the work for you or have y