Risk Assessments and Plans of Work: Asbestos Essentials

Health and Safety
Executive
Risk assessments and

em0 plans of work
asbestos
essentials Equipment and method sheet
Non-licensed tasks What this sheet covers

Remember: Before commencing any work on asbestos-containing
• Asbestos fibres can cause materials (ACMs) a risk assessment must be carried out to
fatal lung disease and lung assess the potential risk of exposure to asbestos, and
cancer. appropriate steps put in place to prevent or reduce exposure.
• Read the safety checklist
and sheet a0. The guidance and appropriate task sheet can be used to form
• You must be trained to work part of your risk assessment and plan of work. Where there
safely with asbestos are no asbestos risks – and tasks that differ from those in
materials. these sheets – further risk assessment will be required.
• Can you do the work some
other way? The risk assessment process is set out below.
• Does the risk assessment
highlight the need for a
licensed contractor? Risk assessment
Before starting any work that is likely to disturb asbestos, a suitable
and sufficient risk assessment must be arranged by the employer.
Whoever carries out the risk assessment must:
be competent to do the risk assessment (have sufficient
knowledge, training and expertise);
carry it out before work begins and allow enough time to put
appropriate precautions in place;
make sure the assessment is job specific and consider all aspects
of the work.
The risk assessment must:
establish the potential risks (including general risks such as falls
from height and electrical hazards as well as those from asbestos)
and identify who may be affected;
identify the action to be taken to remove the risk or, if that is not
possible, to reduce the risk to as low as possible;
record the findings of the risk assessment – and the action to be
taken – and inform employees;
implement the actions to be taken;
review and update the risk assessment as required.
1 of 3 pages
em0 – Risk assessments and plans of work Health and Safety
Executive
Content of the risk assessment

Other hazards
Other specific hazards A risk assessment should include full details of the work to be carried
appear in the checklist on out and how long the work is expected to take. It should also include:
each Asbestos essentials
details of the type and quantity of the asbestos;
task sheet. They include:
details of the expected level of exposure;
Work on fragile roofs: details of the controls to be used to reduce exposure, eg use of
Fragile roofs cannot bear
controlled wetting, adequate personal protective equipment (PPE)
weight – see www.hse.gov.
uk/construction or respiratory protective equipment (RPE), or use of enclosures;
decontamination procedures for tools, equipment and PPE;
Work at height: Take
details on how asbestos waste will be managed and disposed of
precautions to avoid falls –
see www.hse.gov.uk/falls as hazardous waste (see em9);
emergency procedures (see em1).
Electrical hazards: Get a
competent electrician to The findings of the assessment should be communicated to
isolate and reconnect the employees and anybody else who could be affected. A copy of the
electricity supply – see risk assessment must be available on site.
www.hse.gov.uk/electricity
Gas safety: Check your
contractor’s registration at Plan of work
www.gassaferegister.co.uk
Prepare a short plan of work (also known as a method statement).
Manual handling: Plan See equipment and method (em) sheets for useful advice to help you
how to remove and handle prepare this plan. If the work is notifiable, your copy of the notification
heavy material and articles
safely – see www.hse.gov. may help you.
uk/msd Make sure the plan includes the following:
Slips and trips: Floors
protected with polythene what the work is, and how long it is likely to last;
become very slippery when the address and description of the job;
wet – see www.hse.gov.uk/ when the work will be done;
slips the procedures to follow to reduce exposure and prevent the
Confined spaces: You spread of asbestos, ie by following the Asbestos essentials task
need to know that sheets and the order of control methods;
restricted workplaces are the equipment needed, including PPE;
safe to enter and the air is decontamination and waste disposal arrangements;
fit to breathe – see www. emergency procedures.
hse.gov.uk/confinedspace
There may be other Order of control methods
hazards – you need to
consider them all. Where possible, avoid working on or disturbing ACMs. Where this
cannot be avoided, use control methods in the following order:
controlled wetting of ACM;
removal of whole/intact material minimising breakages;
shadow vacuuming to control exposure at source;
suitable PPE including RPE.
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em0 – Risk assessments and plans of work Health and Safety
Executive
Make sure that everyone involved is fully aware of the plan

and knows:
what they need to do;
how to wear their PPE and RPE correctly;
why each action is being taken;
what to do in the case of emergencies and accidents.
Manage the work

Monitor the work to ensure it is being carried out with the appropriate
controls in place and that controls are being used correctly.
For information about health and safety, or to report inconsistencies or inaccuracies in this guidance, visit www.hse.gov.uk/.
You can view HSE guidance online and order priced publications from the website. HSE priced publications are also available
from bookshops.
This guidance is issued by the Health and Safety Executive. Following the guidance is not compulsory, unless specifically stated,
and you are free to take other action. But if you do follow the guidance you will normally be doing enough to comply with the law.
Health and safety inspectors seek to secure compliance with the law and may refer to this guidance.
This document is available at: www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/essentials/
© Crown copyright If you wish to reuse this information visit www.hse.gov.uk/copyright.htm for details.
First published as part of Asbestos essentials task manual 2001.
Published by the Health and Safety Executive 09/17 3 of 3 pages

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Health and Safety

Risk assessments and

Non-licensed tasks What this sheet covers

Content of the risk assessment

Make sure that everyone involved is fully aware of the plan

Manage the work

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