Asbestos Awareness Training: Who Needs It in Great Britain

Asbestos awareness training is for anyone whose normal work could disturb asbestos, and for the people who supervise or influence that work. Under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, employers in Great Britain must give their employees adequate information, instruction and training where they are, or may be, exposed to asbestos. HSE (the Health and Safety Executive) is clear about what awareness training is for: it teaches people to recognise asbestos and avoid disturbing it. It does not qualify anyone to carry out work that disturbs asbestos.

This article covers Great Britain, where HSE regulates. Northern Ireland has its own regulator, HSENI. It is written for the general workforce angle: trades, maintenance, facilities and building teams, rather than care homes or any single sector.

Who needs asbestos awareness training?

According to HSE, awareness training should be given to workers and supervisors whose work could disturb asbestos-containing materials, so that they can avoid work that may disturb it. HSE lists these example occupations:

• General maintenance workers
• Electricians, plumbers, joiners, painters and decorators, and plasterers
• Construction workers, roofers and shop fitters
• Gas fitters, and heating and ventilation engineers
• Demolition workers
• Telecommunication engineers, fire and burglar alarm installers, and computer and data installers
• Architects and building surveyors

HSE notes that the list is illustrative: there will be other occupations where asbestos may be disturbed. It also includes anyone who supervises or influences the work, not only the person holding the tool. The test is practical: could this person's normal day-to-day work disturb asbestos in a building?

What the regulations require

Regulation 10 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 covers information, instruction and training. In summary:

• Employers must ensure employees get adequate information, instruction and training where the employee is, or may be, exposed to asbestos, or supervises such employees. Topics include the health effects of asbestos (including its interaction with smoking), the products likely to contain it, work that could cause exposure, safe working practices, emergency procedures, and more.
• Employees doing work connected with the employer's duties under the Regulations must also be trained so they can do that work effectively.
• The training must be given at regular intervals, adapted when the type of work or working methods change significantly, and suited to the nature and degree of exposure identified in the risk assessment.

The Regulations came into force on 6 April 2012. HSE's supporting Approved Code of Practice and guidance, Managing and working with asbestos (L143, second edition, 2013), explains how to comply.

The three levels of asbestos training

HSE describes three types of training. Choosing the right one is the key decision.

HSE says workers planning non-licensed asbestos work need additional training beyond awareness. Higher-risk work, such as removing asbestos insulation or large amounts of debris, needs an HSE-licensed contractor.

What should awareness training cover?

HSE's guidance says awareness training should cover:

• The properties of asbestos and its effects on health, including the added lung cancer risk for people who smoke.
• The types, uses and likely occurrence of asbestos and asbestos materials in buildings and plant.
• General emergency procedures, for example what to do after an uncontrolled release of asbestos dust.
• How to avoid the risk of exposure.

HSE also recognises e-learning as a viable delivery method, provided it meets Regulation 10 and the L143 Approved Code of Practice. Whatever the format, the content should relate to the buildings your people actually work in.

How often is a refresher needed?

Here HSE is specific. It says there is no legal requirement to repeat an entire formal awareness course every 12 months, but some form of refresher should be given as necessary to help ensure knowledge is maintained. Refreshers can be e-learning, part of other health and safety updates, or an in-house update or safety talk from a competent employer, manager or supervisor. HSE adds that employees who have completed licensable or non-licensable training do not need the lower-level awareness refresher. For work that is licensable or non-licensable, HSE says refresher training should be given every year.

The regulation itself says training must be given "at regular intervals". For wider context on renewal, see our article on how often health and safety training needs renewing in the UK.

Do you need a certificate?

HSE states there is no legal requirement to hold a certificate as proof of training, though many providers issue one. What matters is that the training was adequate and that you can show it happened. A training matrix that records who was trained, when, on what and when the refresher is due is a sensible way to keep that evidence.

How awareness training links to the duty to manage

Training is only one half of the picture. Regulation 4 of the Regulations creates the duty to manage asbestos in non-domestic premises. According to HSE, it applies to owners and occupiers of commercial premises with maintenance or repair responsibilities, and to the common parts of multi-occupancy domestic premises such as purpose-built flats. Dutyholders must:

• Find out whether asbestos-containing materials are present, where, and in what condition, and presume they are present unless there is strong evidence otherwise.
• Keep a record of where they are, and assess the risk.
• Prepare an asbestos management plan, put it into action, monitor it and review it at least every 12 months, or sooner if needed.
• Give information on location and condition to anyone who may work on or disturb the materials.
• Make sure the person managing asbestos is competent, and provide extra training to those in control of parts of the plan.

In April 2026, HSE said inspectors most often find no asbestos management plan, inadequate information, instruction and training, and weak procedures for work that could disturb asbestos. HSE also said that asbestos is known to kill around 20 tradespeople each week due to past exposure. Those two points are why awareness training is worth doing properly.

What workers should do if they find suspect material

HSE's advice is to stop work and speak to the employer or building owner to confirm whether asbestos is present. The employer should check the asbestos register or survey. If asbestos has been disturbed, stop work immediately and follow HSE's guidance on accidentally disturbed asbestos. Surveys can miss things, so staying alert matters. Awareness training is what gives people the confidence to stop.

Frequently asked questions

Is asbestos awareness training a legal requirement?

Employers must provide adequate information, instruction and training to employees who are, or may be, exposed to asbestos. HSE lists asbestos awareness as one of the three types of training, and it is the baseline for people whose work could disturb asbestos.

Does awareness training let me work on asbestos?

No. HSE says awareness training does not allow you to undertake work which will disturb asbestos. Non-licensable work needs additional training, and licensable work must be done by a licensed contractor.

Do office workers need it?

HSE ties awareness training to people whose work could disturb asbestos and to those who supervise or influence it. Whether a role qualifies depends on the work, so use your asbestos register and risk assessment to decide.

Can the training be done online?

Yes, if it meets Regulation 10 and the L143 Approved Code of Practice. HSE recognises e-learning as a viable delivery method among others.

Is annual refresher training mandatory?

HSE says there is no legal requirement to repeat a full awareness course every 12 months, but a suitable refresher should be given as necessary.

Summing up

Identify who in your organisation could disturb asbestos, give them training matched to what they do, refresh it in a proportionate way, and keep a record. Pair that with a live asbestos register and management plan if you control a building. You can explore more workplace compliance learning on the Learnsignal CPD hub.

This article is general information based on HSE guidance and the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 as at October 2026. It is not regulatory, legal or compliance advice. Check the legislation and HSE guidance for your own situation.