UKATA Asbestos Awareness
Asbestos is the generic name given to cover a group of naturally occurring minerals which, because of their range of properties, have been used for centuries.
Because of these properties – strength, electrical insulation, fire retardant, thermal insulation, chemical resistance, etc. it was used extensively within the construction industry.
However, when disturbed it breaks down into tiny fibres and if these are breathed in, they can lead to life-threatening diseases such as asbestosis, mesothelioma, and lung cancer.
At the end of 1999, asbestos was eventually banned from use in the UK, but is still responsible for over 5,000 deaths every year, many of these being tradespersons such as electricians, plumbers, and carpenters.
About this Asbestos Awareness Course
Because of the extensive use of asbestos, many buildings constructed before the ban may still have some form of asbestos within them. So it’s absolutely crucial that anyone who could possibly disturb, and therefore may be exposed to the fibres, must have as an absolute minimum, asbestos awareness training.
This UKATA certificated training course is designed to raise your awareness of Asbestos Containing Materials (ACMs) that you may come across in your workplace.
This course does not provide you with the knowledge and skills required to enable you to work with ACMs. Specialist training is required.
Asbestos Awareness Course - Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, delegates should have a good understanding and appreciation of the potential hazards, risks, and diseases associated with asbestos. They should be able to:
- Identify the 3 main types of asbestos,
- Identify the diseases caused by exposure to asbestos,
- Understand the increased risk for smokers,
- Identify some of the likely uses and locations for asbestos products in buildings,
- Know how to avoid the risks from asbestos,
- Explain the general emergency procedures should asbestos be discovered or disturbed.
Asbestos Awareness Course Contents
This training course is broken down into 3 sections
Asbestos and your health
To begin, we start to understand just what asbestos is, we look at the various types, trace the history of asbestos usage, discover why it is harmful, possible effects on health including asbestos-related diseases, who are most at risk, and when.
Uses of Asbestos
This section looks extensively at the wide range of uses of asbestos. We look at the various properties associated with each type and show many examples of where it was used, and why. We also cover exposure levels and look at procedures that must be followed if you accidentally disturb asbestos.
Legislation and Surveys
This section gives an overview of relevant legislation, to include the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012. We look at the different types of asbestos surveys, where and when they are used, who needs to see them, ‘Duty of Care’, and practical steps to reduce and remove the risks at work.
Duration and Pre-requisites
This is a half-day course, and there are no pre-requisites.