Asbestos Awareness Training: What CAR 2012 Regulation 10 Requires
The Legal Basis: CAR 2012 Regulation 10
Regulation 10 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 requires employers to provide adequate information, instruction and training to workers liable to be exposed to asbestos and to people who supervise them. The training level should match the worker's actual role and asbestos task.
HSE guidance separates awareness training from training for people who will carry out non-licensed, NNLW or licensable asbestos work. Awareness is about avoiding disturbance; work on asbestos needs additional task-appropriate training and competence.
The Three Categories of Asbestos Training
HSE describes three main levels of information, instruction and training. The level required depends on what the worker actually does, not simply on whether they work in an older building.
Asbestos Awareness
CAR 2012 Regulation 10
Who needs it
Workers and supervisors who may encounter asbestos during normal work but are not carrying out work on asbestos-containing materials
What it covers
Asbestos properties and health effects, common locations and uses, how to avoid disturbance, legal responsibilities, and what to do if suspect asbestos is found or disturbed
Refresh
Refresh as necessary; HSE does not require the whole formal awareness course to be repeated every 12 months
HSE Notification
No HSE notification is created by attending awareness training
Provider
Employer should select a competent provider and ensure the training is suitable for the role
Training for Non-Licensable Work, Including NNLW
CAR 2012 Regulation 10 plus task-specific duties
Workers who will actually carry out non-licensed asbestos work, including NNLW where that classification applies
Awareness knowledge plus the task-specific instruction and practical training needed for the non-licensed work, controls, decontamination and waste duties involved
Training should be refreshed as necessary, including when work changes or knowledge gaps are identified
NNLW must be notified to HSE before work starts; other non-licensed work may not require that notification
Provider must be competent for the asbestos work training being delivered
Training for Licensable Work
CAR 2012 Regulation 10 and the licensed-work framework
People who carry out or supervise work that is classed as licensable for an HSE-licensed asbestos contractor
Role-appropriate training for licensed asbestos work, including the procedures and controls relevant to the tasks the worker will undertake
Training and refresher needs are kept current for the role, work and competence requirements
Licensed-work notification requirements are separate from the training itself and are managed by the licensed contractor
Provider must be competent for licensed-work training; this guide does not endorse a specific brand
Which Trades Are Most at Risk?
HSE guidance gives examples of trades that may need asbestos awareness because their work could bring them into contact with ACMs. The table shows example materials those trades may encounter; it is not a local prevalence ranking and does not mean every worker in a listed trade faces the same risk.
| Trade | ACMs most likely to be disturbed |
|---|---|
| Plumbers & Heating Engineers | Pipe lagging, boiler flues, asbestos rope gaskets, asbestos cement flue pipes |
| Electricians | Asbestos insulating board (AIB) in consumer units and cable runs; ceiling voids with AIB tiles |
| Joiners & Carpenters | AIB in fire doors, partition walls, and ceiling tiles; asbestos rope in door frames |
| Plasterers | Textured coatings (Artex) on ceilings and walls in pre-2000 properties |
| Painters & Decorators | Textured coatings disturbed by sanding; AIB surfaces prepared for painting |
| Roofers | Asbestos cement corrugated sheets, flat sheets, and ridge tiles |
| Demolition Workers | All ACM types across the full building fabric |
| Facilities Managers & Caretakers | Any ACM disturbed during maintenance: particularly in pre-2000 commercial and public buildings |
What Asbestos Awareness Training Covers
Asbestos-awareness training should give workers enough information to recognise the risk and avoid disturbing suspect ACMs. HSE guidance sets out the topics awareness training should cover, while people who will work on asbestos need additional task-specific training and competence.
What asbestos is and where it is found
The three main commercial types: chrysotile (white), amosite (brown), and crocidolite (blue): and the materials in which they were used. Training may cover examples of asbestos-containing materials such as AIB, pipe lagging, textured coatings, asbestos cement, floor tiles and asbestos rope, while making clear that appearance alone cannot confirm asbestos.
The health risks and why they matter
The four asbestos-related diseases: mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis, and pleural thickening: and the latency period of 20 to 50 years. Trainees understand that there is no safe level of exposure and that the cumulative dose determines the risk.
How to recognise ACMs in the field
Guidance on recognising situations where a material may be suspect and on stopping before disturbance. Appearance alone cannot confirm asbestos; testing or survey scope is chosen for the planned decision or work.
What to do if asbestos is found or disturbed
What to do when suspect asbestos is found or accidentally disturbed: stop the activity, prevent further disturbance, inform the responsible person and arrange the appropriate assessment or contractor route. Licensable work requires an HSE-licensed contractor.
Legal duties under CAR 2012
The distinction between licensed, NNLW and other non-licensed work; the duty to manage where it applies; Regulation 10 training duties; and the additional notification duties attached to NNLW.
Employer Duties Under Regulation 10
The employer is responsible for ensuring that workers who may be exposed to asbestos, and those who supervise them, receive adequate information, instruction and training. A certificate is not the test of compliance or competence; the training must be suitable for the worker's actual role and risk.
- Provide suitable information, instruction and training before workers are put at risk of asbestos exposure
- Keep enough training information to show what was provided and when
- Review refresher needs when work changes, knowledge gaps appear or key information needs reinforcement
- Check competence and training for self-employed workers or contractors whose work may involve asbestos risk
- Reassess the training level when workers' roles, tasks or work locations change
Three Training Mistakes to Avoid
Treating online training as a one-off tick-box exercise
E-learning can be a suitable method where it meets the training need, but awareness training must not become a tick-box substitute for role-appropriate instruction. Refresher training should be provided when necessary rather than by relying on a certificate age alone.
Assuming subcontractors have their own training in place
A certificate alone does not prove competence. The person arranging work should ensure the worker has the information, instruction, training and competence needed for the actual asbestos risk and task.
Conflating training with a survey
Training helps workers recognise the risk and stop before disturbance. It does not tell them whether a specific material contains asbestos. Use the survey or sampling route appropriate to the building and planned work when material confirmation or wider asbestos information is needed.
Complete Your Compliance Picture
Asbestos awareness training is one part of a broader compliance framework. The guides below cover the other obligations that apply to tradespeople and employers working in pre-2000 buildings.
- Notifiable Non-Licensed Work (NNLW)
HSE notification, health surveillance, and COSHH records - Can I Remove Asbestos Myself?
Decision tree: licensed, NNLW, or non-licensed? - Asbestos Regulations UK
CAR 2012 explained: all duties in one place - Is Asbestos Dangerous?
The health risks: peer-reviewed evidence
Common Questions
Who needs asbestos awareness training under CAR 2012?
Workers who may be exposed to asbestos during their work, and people who supervise them, need adequate information, instruction and training. Awareness training is appropriate where the aim is to recognise the risk and avoid disturbing asbestos. People who will work on ACMs need additional task-appropriate training beyond awareness.
How often does asbestos awareness training need to be refreshed?
HSE does not require the entire formal awareness course to be repeated every 12 months. Refresher training should be provided as necessary, for example when work changes, knowledge gaps are identified or the employer needs to reinforce key information. Refresher arrangements should reflect the worker's role and risk.
Does a training certificate prove that someone is competent to work on asbestos?
No. HSE states that a training certificate is not proof of competence and there is no legal requirement simply to hold a certificate before working with asbestos. Competence depends on suitable information, instruction, training, experience and the ability to apply it to the task. Work category and employer responsibilities still apply.
Can asbestos awareness training be completed online?
HSE recognises e-learning as a viable delivery method where it is suitable and meets Regulation 10 requirements. Online awareness training still needs appropriate content and employer oversight. Training for people who will actually work on asbestos must also include the practical and task-specific elements needed for that work.
What happens if an employer does not provide adequate asbestos training?
Regulation 10 places the duty on the employer to provide adequate information, instruction and training where workers may be exposed to asbestos. HSE can take enforcement action where legal duties are not met. The appropriate response depends on the circumstances, so employers should use current HSE guidance rather than rely on a certificate alone.
Does asbestos awareness training replace the need for a survey?
No. Awareness training helps workers recognise the risk and avoid disturbance; it does not establish whether a specific material contains asbestos. Where asbestos information is needed for normal management or planned intrusive work, use the survey or sampling route appropriate to the property and task before work begins.
Further Guidance
Discuss Your Requirements
Scope, provider requirements, price and availability are confirmed for the individual enquiry. Licensable work requires an HSE-licensed contractor.