Posted By Adrian Watson
Martin,

It very effectively removes occupational hygienists from dealing with asbestos issues.

Hurrah, HSE & BOHS, well thought out!

Regards Adrian Watson
Registered Occupational Hygienist.

Posted By Dave Wilson
Why would Occ hyg get involved?

The big losers are the Analytical companies as it may mean that the 40,000 or so 4 stage clearance tests for artex at £250 a go could disappear or have disappeared over night.

That's £10,000,000 out of their pockets.

Posted By Dave Wilson
The reason I said this, is that I am the HS&E Manager for a Licensed Contractor amongst other stuff, never seen or even been involved with Occ Hygienists in asbestos - so where do they fit into the licensed contractors side of things?

Posted By Martin Oliver
Good point and if truth be known so has Dave according the the definition!!

The issue here is not about money and the loss of a miserly £10,000,000. The real loss is the pain and distress of the families or those currently suffering.

Strategic Overview:
Lets compare the loss to industry to the economic loss to society...I think I read somewhere the costs to maintain the status quo are in the region of 71 billion over 50 years!

Dave / Adrian, what do think of the concept that, potentially with de-licensing, 'fly by night' companies may bid, and undercut, the company you work for?

Posted By Dave Wilson
PS I am asking a question here not being sarcastic as if there is we may consider using their services.

Posted By Dave Wilson
This is an issue for people who are having TC removed, it is difficult to reconcile the need for an analyst & 4SC two weeks ago and now you do not, its not really an issue for us in the asbestos industry, as we pay them for this service, so there will be drop in cost for the client if he wishes not to have a 4SC as we will not be incurring analysts costs.

Most clients who we work for have insisted that we still do this as it gives them peace of mind, particularly in high risk areas, schools, domestic property etc and we would even offer a reassurance monitoring if they also required it, this is also a cost which we would pass on as we have to pay for the service.

The younger workforce today has a lassaie fare attitude to Asi whereas the elder generation (over 60) have all known someone who has died from an Asbestos related disease and insist on this.

It will have a greater impact on the general builder as there are now things which he is not allowed to do where under the old regime he could, removing nailed in AIB is now licensable work, more than 1sqm of screwed in AIB is now licensable ANY work on 'DAMAGED' Lagging or Limpet is now licensable, so you can't repair your own boilers etc as this work although may be 'short duration maintenance work' (Minor Works)it is NOT 'work of sporadic and low intensity' and a licensed contractor has to be used.

Will Company maintenance team who have been doing this for years change their way and use a licensed contractor? Probably not and if caught will get prosecuted.

These Regs are risk based and as such the idea being that let the 'Licensed industry' deal with the higher risk products and the lower risk stuff can be unlicensed work, as long as you are trained and competent to do so, with the right equipment and a proper Method Statement for each task.

Its not going to affect the other parts of the industry such as surveying or the duty to manage as that's a separate issue and has not changed.