Last month (October 2023), the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) commenced a series of inspections in primary and secondary schools across England, Scotland, and Wales. These inspections aim to evaluate how schools manage the risks associated with asbestos within their facilities and ensure compliance with Regulation 4 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (CAR). During their visit, inspectors will engage with individuals knowledgeable about the school’s asbestos management practices and may request specific documents in advance, such as the asbestos register and management plan.

What can you do to prepare?

Schools should review their current practices to confirm they align with CAR requirements, to make things straightforward we’ve listed some key steps below:

• Identifying Asbestos: Schools should take reasonable steps to determine the presence, location, and condition of asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) on their premises.
• Presumption of Asbestos: Unless strong evidence suggests otherwise, presume that materials contain asbestos and act as if it does until confirmed otherwise.
• Record Keeping: Maintain an up-to-date record detailing the location and condition of ACMs or presumed asbestos-containing materials.
• Risk Assessment: Assess the risk of asbestos fibre exposure from identified materials, for example – how likely is the material to be disturbed?
• Asbestos Management Plan (AMP): Develop a comprehensive AMP outlining how asbestos risks will be managed, and reflecting the information discovered in the above steps.
• Implementation: Act on the AMP and take the necessary steps to put it into practice, it’s no use to have the information and not do anything about it.
• Review and Monitoring: Regularly review and monitor the AMP and associated measures to keep them relevant and up-to-date.
• Information Sharing: Provide information about ACMs’ location and condition to those who may work on or disturb them.

The HSE suggests reviewing insights gained from the 2022/23 inspection campaign focusing on asbestos management in school buildings to ensure that their practices remain effective. To assist in this process, HSE has updated its “Asbestos Management – Checklist for Schools,” offering a concise summary of essential measures to effectively manage asbestos risks.