HSE has launched a new campaign to highlight the risk of asbestos in buildings and raise awareness of the legal duty to manage those risks.
Many buildings in Great Britain that were built or refurbished before 2000 may contain asbestos. Asbestos was completely banned in 1999.
Asbestos can become dangerous when disturbed or damaged. However, people who work in or visit buildings containing asbestos will not be exposed to asbestos if it is properly managed.
HSE’s 'Asbestos – Your Duty' campaign targets those responsible for managing asbestos in the building (dutyholders).
The dutyholder could be the building owner, the landlord for the premises, the business owner, or the person or organisation with clear responsibility for the building's maintenance or repair.
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The duty to manage asbestos ensures workers and building users are protected from the risks of exposure to asbestos. It applies to a range of non-domestic buildings, including premises like factories, warehouses, offices and shops; and public buildings like hospitals, schools, premises used for religious worship, museums and libraries.
A few simple questions can help identify if you have a legal duty to manage asbestos.
The duty to manage asbestos in buildings
To support dutyholders, we recently updated our web pages for the duty to manage asbestos in buildings, these include guidance on:
- what the legal duty is and the steps required to comply with the law
- who the dutyholder is, depending on the type of building etc, and what they must do
- new templates of an asbestos management plan and an asbestos register with site plan
- examples of how asbestos can be managed
Further information and resources
The campaign also provides dutyholders with a range of resources. You can:
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