Posted By Mark Darmody Question A Client has a number of domestic car garages to demolish on an estate CDM is applicable. Garages are a simple four wall construction. It has been asumed that all the roofs are positive (chrysotile cement), hence it is not planned to take samples. Precautions are in place to safely remove the sheets and dispose at a licenced site. However on the basis the sheets are chrysotile cement a licence will not be required for the work. I believe a sample or samples should be taken to ensure the roofs are in fact Crysotile eg were not contaminated during production (fibres of blue and/or brown identified). If this were the case a licence would therefore be required to remove the sheets. Any thoughts please!

Posted By Geoff Burt A client recently removed a large amount of asbestos cement. We treated it purely as asbestos cement eg reasonable precautions as per HSE guidance and correct disposal. I discussed this with an HSE inspector (on site for a different reason) and she had no problems with this at all. Remember it is asbestos cement - where the biggest risk is falling through it. Geoff

Posted By Terence R Bannon I agrre with geoff I to have had these discussions with the hse, follow the guidelines and there will not be any problems.

Posted By Simon Ayee You shouldn't require a licensed contractor to remove asbestos cement sheets regardless of the type of asbestos contained in them. The licensing regime applies to work on asbestos insulation, asbestos coating and asbestos insulation board not to the type of asbestos contained in the material. The type of asbestos becomes important when looking at action levels and control limits as they are higher for chrysotile. If it is likely that the action level will be exceeded then the requirement to notifiy the enforcing authority and other CAWR requirements are triggered. Exceeding control limits trigger other requirements. Even so undertaking such work requires suitable planning, assessment, safe work practices and trained staff.

Posted By Dave Wilson You do not need to be licenced to remove asbestos cement sheets. The presence of Asbetsos in the make up of the sheet is immaterial, it is a non licencable product. However you will need to hold a Waste Licence to remove it off site or the waste removal contractor should have one.