Asbestos Awareness Training: Why It's a Legal Requirement

Asbestos was widely used in Irish buildings constructed or refurbished before the early 2000s, and while it's no longer used in new construction, it hasn't gone away — it's still present in the fabric of many older buildings. Asbestos awareness training exists to make sure anyone who might disturb it, even unintentionally, knows how to recognise the risk and respond correctly.

Why asbestos is still a live issue

Undisturbed asbestos in good condition is generally considered a low risk. The danger comes when it's disturbed — drilled, cut, sanded, or damaged — releasing fibres into the air that can be inhaled. Long-term exposure is linked to serious, often fatal respiratory diseases including asbestosis, mesothelioma and lung cancer, which can take decades to develop after exposure. Because so much of Ireland's older building stock — schools, hospitals, offices, and homes built before the early 2000s — may still contain asbestos in materials like insulation, floor tiles, textured coatings and pipe lagging, the risk of accidental disturbance during maintenance, renovation or demolition work remains real.

The legal requirement

Asbestos exposure in Ireland is governed by the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Exposure to Asbestos) Regulations 2006 (S.I. No. 386/2006), made under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 and enforced by the Health and Safety Authority (HSA). The regulations set out duties for identifying asbestos before work begins, managing the risk, and — critically — restrict certain asbestos work to specifically licensed contractors. The HSA has continued to update its guidance in this area, including a revised Code of Practice for the regulations, reflecting how significant this risk area remains for employers with older buildings or premises. Learnsignal's CPD and compliance courses cover this alongside other statutory training relevant to employers with older premises.

Awareness training vs licensed work

It's important to distinguish between asbestos awareness training and the training required to actually work with asbestos. Awareness training — the level most employees in an older building need — teaches staff to recognise materials that might contain asbestos, understand the health risks, know what not to do (drilling, sanding, or disturbing suspect materials), and know how to report a concern. It does not qualify anyone to remove, repair or otherwise work directly with asbestos-containing materials — that work is restricted to specifically licensed contractors under separate, more extensive training and certification requirements.

Who needs asbestos awareness training

• Maintenance, facilities and caretaking staff working in buildings constructed or refurbished before the early 2000s
• Tradespeople — electricians, plumbers, and general contractors — who might drill into walls, ceilings or floors as part of routine work
• Anyone responsible for planning building works, refurbishment or demolition, so asbestos surveys happen before work starts rather than after a material is disturbed

What happens if asbestos is discovered unexpectedly

Even with a survey in place, asbestos-containing material can turn up unexpectedly during work — behind a wall being opened up, for example. Training should cover a clear, simple response: stop work immediately in the affected area, avoid disturbing the material further, evacuate anyone nearby, and report it so a qualified assessment can be arranged. Panicking or attempting to clean up suspected asbestos debris without the right equipment and training is one of the most common ways exposure risk actually escalates, rather than the initial discovery itself.

Asbestos registers for employers

Employers with buildings that may contain asbestos are generally expected to maintain an asbestos register — a record of where asbestos-containing materials are known or suspected to be located, their condition, and any management plan for them. This register should be accessible to anyone carrying out maintenance or contract work, so a contractor arriving to fix a leak knows in advance whether they're likely to encounter asbestos-containing pipe lagging, rather than finding out mid-job.

Why refresher training matters

Asbestos risk doesn't disappear once initial awareness training is delivered — buildings age, get refurbished, and staff turn over. Refresher training, typically every one to three years depending on the employer's risk assessment, keeps awareness current and ensures new staff working in older buildings aren't relying on secondhand knowledge from colleagues rather than proper training.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is asbestos awareness training a legal requirement?
Yes, for employees whose work could foreseeably expose them to asbestos-containing materials, training is required under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Exposure to Asbestos) Regulations 2006.

Can I remove asbestos myself after doing an awareness course?
No. Awareness training only covers recognising and avoiding disturbing asbestos-containing materials and reporting concerns — actual removal or work involving asbestos requires a licensed contractor with separate, specific training.

How do I know if a building contains asbestos?
A proper asbestos survey, carried out by a qualified surveyor before any refurbishment or demolition work, is the reliable way to know — awareness training teaches staff to recognise likely locations and materials, but shouldn't be relied on as a substitute for a formal survey.

Asbestos is one of several hazardous materials covered under broader workplace safety obligations — see our guide to COSHH and hazardous substances training for the wider picture.