Asbestos Awareness Training

Why completing our Asbestos Awareness training course is vital in gaining fundamental knowledge about the dangers and management of asbestos in the workplace.

Around 5,000 people die each year of asbestos-related diseases. At Havio, our Asbestos Awareness training is designed to give workers and supervisors the information they need by highlighting the dangers and effects of asbestos.

It then provides a detailed overview of the control measures required when carrying out tasks where you may come into contact with asbestos.

What is Asbestos

Asbestos is a natural fibrous mineral. There are six different types, and their fibres are the finest known. The properties of Asbestos are known for being fire resistant, durable, and an excellent insulator.

Why do I need awareness training

Even though Asbestos has great durable features, exposure to Asbestos is highly hazardous. The fibres are invisible to the naked eye, making identification of them impossible.

Any exposure can cause long-term and irreversible illnesses such as Asbestosis, a chronic lung disease and Mesothelioma, a condition where tumours are formed in the lining of the lungs, abdomen, or heart.

In many cases exposure to the fibres does not lead to an immediate health issue due to the long latency periods meaning this can go undiagnosed, with no symptoms, for around 20-50 years after exposure to Asbestos. The risk of developing lung cancer is also significantly increased if you are a smoker.

Asbestos is still found extensively in industrial and residential buildings built or refurbished before the year 2000. Therefore, it is a legal requirement (Regulation 10 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations) for those working in construction and building environments to be trained in asbestos awareness and that employers give their employees adequate information and instructions on how to avoid work that may disturb Asbestos.

What will I learn in the awareness training

Havio’s Asbestos Awareness training course is designed to detail the types of Asbestos and how and where these fibres can be found. The course also focuses on the following objectives:

• What is Asbestos? The different types and the dangers.
• The risks of exposure and the short and long-term health issues that the fibres can cause.
• The use of Asbestos as a building material.
• The recommended control measures required for those who may encounter Asbestos during their working tasks (Asbestos Regulations 2012).
• The different types of Asbestos Surveys.
• Requirements when undertaking maintenance and refurbishments.

The course does not teach you how to disturb, remove or dispose of asbestos materials but will point you in the right direction of the next steps, which may require advanced instruction and training and potentially a license.