Hi Steve I think your be alright, the Safe Contractor web site have some good awareness training guidelines for Asbestos awareness training. Good luck

I suggest you look at the Approved Code of Practice and Guidance, 'Work with asbestos containing materials', L143, available as a free download from here: http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/l143.htm This specifies the syllabus that you need to cover for asbestos awareness (guidance under reg 10). The HSE site is a source of very useful information to draw on to flesh out your course, and it is good practice to include some photos and examples from your own workplace.

I am really uneasy about trainers for asbestos courses without a measure of practical first hand knowledge of the problem and to suggest 1-2 hours for the prescribed syllabus is out by 2-3 hours, where this is the first training given. I personally have worked with the stuff since my student days back in the 1970s and throughout my professional career and I still sometimes feel at a loss, particularly when you encounter the relatives of sufferers. I am sure that most in the asbestos industry will say with me that you need to have walked the talk before you can be competent to train. The worst courses I have witnessed were from those with a great deal of "book knowledge" and no real feel for the issues. We do need to recognise this topic as one of the largest OH disasters to hit employment and to that end the message has to be got across clearly AND with a clear degree of confidence and knowledge of the problem. I am sorry but I feel the poster has been misled into believing competence when it does not yet exist. Bob

Asbesto Awareness training is essential if there is a possible risk of exposure to your staff / colleagues, and it does not need an asbestos specialist to deliver it. Any good HS trainer or HS professional could delivery Asbestos Awareness training and it should take approx 2 hours. It does not need an Asbestos Specialist. NB It is awareness training Steve

xRockape No survey guarantees to find all asbestos present, thus the need to train all persons who could foreseeably encounter ACM during work. Regulation 10 was very carefully framed to ensure ALL construction operatives who might meet asbestos were at least trained to a minimum level. Besides there is no duty to remove asbestos if found as it can be managed in certain circumstances. Riskybizz Not doubting your construction experience - but merely pointing out that you do need a firm grasp of the problem in all of its complexities before even thinking about being a trainer. Far too many forget this. Steve Sorry to disagree with you but unless someone can demonstrate competence in asbestos management without being able to provide experience of actually having done it then my defintion of competence - a blend of Skills, Knowledge, Ability, Training, Experience, Behaviour and Attitude - will not be met. One could even argue that a person is wandering around the edges of breaching the Code of Conduct! I also hold that the any initial training programme on asbestos awareness will take 1/2 day if it is done correctly. Subsequent training requirements may then be even less than an hour if there is regular encounter with asbestos. Remember this training is subject to annual update requirements. In general I have to say that my experience shows a de minimus approach to asbestos awareness training is becoming too common and I think the HSE will be taking some hard looks at what is being provided at some point. With an estimated 4000 deaths per annum for the next 10-15 years at least this problem cannot be treated lightly. A number of training organisations are guilty however of allowing/encouraging employers to believe that there is very little to be concerned about and a short one off course will solve all the problems - it will not. I am also seeing very few contractors actually providing training for those managing asbestos issues within the organisation during site works. Bob

xRockape The point of regulation 10 is to ensure all persons undertaking construction work who could foreseeably encounter ACMs should have at least a basic awareness training. In refurbishment of, or work within, any structure pre 2000 this condition is present UNLESS it can be demonstrated that the work area contains no ACMs present - a very difficult status to prove. Bob