2.1 BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON ASBESTOS

The name asbestos does not describe a single substance, but is a general term applied to various minerals, made up of long, thin separable crystalline fibres that possess very high tensile strength and flexibility. It is the physical characteristics of these fibres, coupled with their resistance to heat and chemical attack, which made them so useful.

For example it has been used to prevent the spread of fire in buildings, where it can be found in the construction of doors, partitions, as a screen (fire-curtain) in open roof spaces, as lagging around pipework, behind wall-mounted heating units, in ceiling and floor tiles and as external roofing and cladding. It can also be found in equipment, such as kilns, cookers, and fume cupboards. There are three main types of asbestos:

• Chrysotile (white)
• Amosite (brown)
• Crocidolite (blue)

There is considerable evidence to show that these three represent varying degrees of hazard. There are other types, but because they are less common, we rarely refer to them. Blue and brown asbestos are considered the most hazardous, but all types can cause fatal diseases.

(See Appendix 1 for a full glossary of terms used in this policy.) The danger from asbestos is caused primarily by inhalation of free fibres. Key health issues are:

Excessive exposure, either long term to low levels, or short term to high levels, can lead to fibrosis (scarring) of the lung tissue.

This scarring can continue to develop, even after exposure has ceased, leading to more serious lung damage, including cancer.

It can take up to 40 years after the last exposure for an asbestos related disease to develop.

It is not possible to detect by health or medical screening whether asbestos exposure has occurred until a disease develops, and there are no cures for asbestos related diseases.

Existing records of the location of asbestos in Council buildings are closed but retained centrally for specific reference purposes. Current records are maintained on a database. Records of asbestos material will be retained for a minimum of 40 years

 

2.2     RISK ASSESSMENT

The Council has appointed accredited asbestos consultants to provide professional services in relation to the identification and management of asbestos containing material. These will include:

• Bulk sampling.
• Clearance testing.
• Reports and surveys as requested.

All contact with the asbestos consultant will be through the appropriate Asbestos Co-ordinating Officer/Engineer/Surveyor in the Property Services Team. All environmental testing will be carried out to standards approved by the HSE.

The risk assessment takes account of:

• Location within the building.
• Type of asbestos containing material.
• Surface treatment.
• Asbestos type.

The report produced for each site includes the following:

• Survey of all visible asbestos.
• Floor plans.
• Assessment of risks based upon material and priority.
• Summary of recommendations, including remedial work

2.3       ASBESTOS PROCEDURES IN BUCKINGHAMSHIRE COUNCIL PREMISES

The following detailed procedures have been drawn up to ensure the risk from Asbestos is minimised in Council buildings and is dealt with in accordance with legislative requirements and best practice.

Buckinghamshire Council has appointed an appropriately qualified Consultant to carry out asbestos management surveys on all Council properties, giving details of type, location, and condition of visible asbestos, along with a risk assessment based upon this information.

A report containing this information has been compiled by the Consultant for each establishment to form the Asbestos Register.

The appointed Consultant has created a web portal which is the primary source of all this information and to which all appropriate staff have access. The Property Services Team will assess and prioritise any remedial work required, based upon the risk assessment and available funding. This will be a combination of housekeeping measures for which the premises will be responsible and remediation measures for which the Council may be responsible, following the established protocols for maintenance responsibilities.

If you download and keep a hard copy of the information, the site Duty Holder will need to put in place their own management regime, with audit trail, for keeping this copy set of records up to date.

Before any work is carried out in a building by Council employees, contractors or by others, e.g. under the self-help schemes for schools, devolved capital projects, etc., reference must be made to the Asbestos Register to determine whether the proposed work involves disturbing asbestos.

Those preparing to undertake work must show that the Asbestos Register has been examined, by dating and signing an inspection record, confirming inspection of the records.

Where asbestos is seen to be present, work must not proceed. Contact the Property Services Team who will take appropriate action. In respect of the location of asbestos material in a building, it is the responsibility of the officer-in-charge (e.g. Headteacher / Librarian / Manager) of the building to ensure that any amendments made by the Property Services Team are corrected in the Asbestos Register and are annotated accordingly. On the legacy paper-based system, confirmation that the updated information is correct will be required.

Inaccessible parts of the building do not form part of the asbestos management survey. In some instances, it is suspected that these areas may contain asbestos, such as under-floor ducts. However, these areas must be treated as if they contain asbestos until otherwise identified. Therefore, irrespective of whether the presence of asbestos is recorded or not, access to these areas is not permitted under any circumstances until appropriate action has been taken by the Property Services Team.

In spite of every effort being taken to locate the presence of asbestos, there may be situations where the nature of a building material is uncertain. In these circumstances it must be assumed that the material in question contains asbestos. Where this occurs the Property Services Team must be contacted, either before work is started, or immediately it becomes apparent that there is uncertainty over the composition and content of the material uncovered.

Textured Surface Coatings (e.g. Artex)

The quantity of asbestos in such coatings is minimal (1-2%) and therefore re-decoration e.g. painting of the surface, presents no risk when carried out on a sound surface. Where the surface is damaged in any way you should seek advice from the Property Services Team. Christmas decorations, classwork, posters, artwork etc., should not be attached to such surfaces, whatever method of fixing is proposed. Any surface preparation of such coatings involving the use of power sanders, scrapers or other method of abrasion will create a dust-laden environment, and such activity is not permitted. Where any work of this nature is being proposed, the Property Services Team must be consulted to ensure no-one is put at risk.

If it becomes necessary to drill holes through a textured coating, it may not be necessary to use a licensed contractor for this. This is especially applicable to work on light fittings. Refer to A26 Asbestos Essentials Drilling and boring through textured surfaces

2.4       EMERGENCY PROCEDURES AND INVESTIGATIONS INTO ASBESTOS INCIDENTS

Phase 1

Employees who have been exposed to asbestos or feel they may have been exposed to asbestos must inform their line manager and the Health and Safety Team immediately, in order to trigger the following procedures.

All persons must be evacuated from the potentially contaminated area whilst a preliminary risk assessment is carried out by the Property Services Team. Where clear and precise information can be obtained quickly to confirm that no asbestos has been disturbed, then permission may be given to re-occupy the area. Where this is not the case then material tests and/or air tests will be organised through the Council’s asbestos consultant. It is likely that in most cases the level of fibres in the air will be minor, but sometimes may be in excess of the HSE safe standard of less than 0.01 fibres/millilitre of air. Where this upper safe limit is exceeded, then an incident is deemed to have occurred and Phase 2 procedures will apply.

Phase 2

Confirmation will be required from the site manager that the evacuation and isolation of the contaminated area has taken place. The area should be locked-off/secured by any practical means, with warning signs posted. No re-entry should be allowed for any reason until the area has been declared safe by an asbestos co-ordinating officer or the asbestos consultant.

The Property Services Team will arrange for appropriate measures to be put in place. This will include making safe or removing the damaged material, decontaminating all cleanable surfaces, removing and disposing of all items (furniture, carpets, clothes, books etc.) that cannot be decontaminated, and the final air tests to confirm that the area is safe to re-occupy. This may take several days, depending upon the level of contamination and the speed of which the incident was reported.

On completion of the decontamination and upon receipt of the air clearance certificate, the area will be declared safe for re-occupation by the asbestos co-ordinating officer.

Employees who have been exposed to asbestos fibres or feel they may have been exposed to asbestos fibres must inform their line manager and the Health and Safety Team immediately. If there has been exposure, the Health and Safety Team will provide the employee with a letter that they can take to their GP to record on their medical file. A note will also be put on their personnel file.

An investigation, initiated by the Head of Health & Safety in conjunction with the Property Services Team, will be undertaken and a report submitted to the CHSC and to the appropriate trade union health and safety representatives.

A copy of the incident report, including details of those affected, will be retained by the Head of Health & Safety.

2.5       MONITORING OF ASBESTOS MATERIALS

There will be periodic inspections carried out under the direction of the Property Services Team of all known asbestos material recorded in the Asbestos Register so that any deterioration can be noted, and appropriate action taken.

Premises managers should, as part of their regular health & safety inspections, check the Asbestos Register and the accuracy of information detailed therein, and that it is being used in accordance with the prescribed procedures, recording that they have done so. These actions will be checked as part of the on-going health and safety audits carried out by the central Health & Safety Team. Managers should look for any deterioration in these materials and report any adverse findings immediately to the Property Services Team.

2.6       REMEDIAL WORK

As noted above, risks have been identified and assessed and recommendations made to prevent or control those risks at each establishment. The Property Services Team will consider and where necessary arrange remediation work.

Remedial work will be prioritised within available budgets and actioned by the Property Services Team as detailed above in 3 Asbestos Procedures. Where work cannot be actioned immediately, control measures (housekeeping) may need to be put in place. These control measures could include closing the areas affected. Any concerns about possible contamination not covered by any of the above should be made known to the Property Services Team as soon as they occur.

Remediation work required as part of a refurbishment/improvement scheme (i.e. not maintenance work) must be incorporated into the project and will form part of the project costs. This must be allowed for at the outset. This will include any works required from the compulsory refurbishment/demolition survey.

2.7     USES OF ASBESTOS

Asbestos is rarely used as a pure product but as a component in manufactured goods. A product can contain a mixture of different types of asbestos.

Prior to 1971 blue asbestos was used for thermal and sound insulation in many buildings and types of plant e.g. heat insulation on pipework. Since that time much has been removed and blue asbestos is now rarely found. It is likely that little blue asbestos remains in Council buildings and any that does will probably be mixed with brown or white asbestos.

White and/or brown asbestos can be found in a variety of products in varying percentages, including cement building products (roof panels, gutters, flue pipes, rainwater pipes, floor tiles, insulating boards, ceiling tiles, sprayed insulation, and gaskets). Therefore, asbestos could be present in the roof, ceiling, floor, walls, service ducts, heating systems or boiler/plant room(s) of any premises built before about the mid 1980's.

Only buildings constructed after 1999 can be assumed to be asbestos-free. (See Appendix 3 for more details about likely locations of asbestos products.)

It is a legal requirement not to use asbestos materials in connection with building fabric or services. However, where it already exists and a risk assessment indicates that removal is necessary, that removal must be undertaken under the direct control of the Property Services Team in all Council controlled buildings. The material will be replaced with a non-asbestos substitute.

Fibreboard

Since the original surveys were carried out it has come to light that some fibreboards are faced with asbestos paper. Fibreboards (also known as softboard, pinboard and Tentest) have been widely used, especially where funding was limited. They are commonly found as ceiling and wall panels. They are very soft, light in weight, easily damaged and are renowned for losing their shape and disintegrating in damp or humid conditions. You need to be aware that if you have any of these boards in your property they would not have been tested for asbestos content in previous surveys. Should you be contemplating removing these boards, or have any in a poor condition, you need to check your new survey, or contact Property Services who will arrange to have them tested.

Despite the care with which the management survey has been prepared it will not necessarily have located all the asbestos present in your buildings. Any work that involves disturbing the building fabric therefore needs to follow strict procedures, as described below, especially when exposing previously hidden material within inaccessible areas. It is essential that a Refurbishment/Demolition Survey is carried out prior to any major refurbishment/demolition work. Non-traditional wall construction, i.e. not brick or block, frequently contains asbestos within the cavity. In such circumstances, seek advice at the earliest opportunity.

2.8       EXISTING ASBESTOS

The mere presence of asbestos in a building is not in itself a health hazard. Asbestos is only harmful if it becomes damaged and fibres become airborne and are inhaled into the lungs.

Most commonly found asbestos materials (except insulation) contain relatively small amounts of asbestos and do not release significant numbers of fibres except:

• When they are worn or damaged.
• When they are abraded.
• When they are worked on (e.g. cut, drilled, filed, sanded etc.).

Treatment of Asbestos Containing Materials (ACMs)

Where material containing asbestos in existing installations is sound, undamaged, and adequately sealed or encapsulated and likely to remain so, the material will not be disturbed. Its location will be recorded to allow future monitoring and labelled if appropriate.

Where an ACM is damaged or inadequately sealed, the material will be resealed where it is reasonably practicable to do so and its location recorded to allow future monitoring and labelled if appropriate. Additionally, it may be encapsulated to prevent further damage.

Priorities, methods, and actions undertaken are determined according to the type of asbestos, its condition, and whether it is liable to damage. Asbestos material is only retained if it is sound, unlikely to be damaged, and where an adequate seal can be maintained.

For all works relating to asbestos, licensed asbestos remediation contractors are to be used.

Exceptions may be made in some circumstances, such as where asbestos cement products or textured coatings are involved. In such cases an asbestos co-ordinating officer must be made aware. Following an adequate risk assessment, the work could be carried out by an approved contractor taking appropriate precautions, under expert supervision, such as that provided by the Property Services Team. These precautions would consist of the contractor providing an acceptable written method statement, wearing appropriate PPE, and using the correct specialist equipment. All of this is detailed in the HSE publication, Asbestos essentials: A task manual for building, maintenance and allied trades on non-licensed asbestos work (hse.gov.uk)

Where an external consultant/agent/contractor appoints a licensed asbestos contractor, an asbestos co-ordinating officer within the Property Services Team must be made aware. That consultant/agent/contractor must provide all documentation relating to the asbestos element of the work to the asbestos co-ordinating officer (details and extent of work, method statement, air clearance certificates, etc.) to enable the Asbestos Register to be updated.

Removal of Asbestos Containing Materials

In some circumstances the wholesale removal of asbestos may increase the overall risk to public health since the removal operation does inevitably cause fibres to be released. Wet-stripping techniques are used to keep the airborne fibre release to a minimum.

Existing materials containing asbestos will be removed where they are:

Damaged or inadequately sealed and it is not reasonably practicable to reseal, repair or encapsulate them; or

Considered to be hazardous by virtue of an assessment of air samples taken in accordance with the recommendations of the HSE; or

In a location where constant damage is likely to occur.

Disposal of Asbestos Containing Materials

Where asbestos containing materials are removed from the premises, for example asbestos containing toilet cisterns, gutters, and rainwater pipes, they must be double wrapped in 1000-gauge polythene sheets and securely sealed with duct tape or some similar tape. They must be labelled with an approved asbestos warning label and be stored in a secure area pending collection by a licensed waste contractor, who will also need to be a registered carrier for asbestos waste. A waste transfer note should be obtained from the licensed waste disposal company at handover.

2.9       ASBESTOS REGISTER

Before any work is carried out in a building under the control of the Council, reference must be made to the Asbestos Register.

There will be occasions when it will be necessary to amend the information contained in the Asbestos Register. Such amendments will be undertaken by the Property Services Team, in conjunction with the Asbestos Consultant, where:

• Asbestos is removed.
• Additional areas containing asbestos are identified.
• The condition of the asbestos material has deteriorated/changed.
• It has become more susceptible to damage because of a change in use of the area.

Once work on asbestos has been completed, the Property Services Team, in conjunction with the Asbestos Consultant, will amend the Asbestos Register and the relevant establishment will be notified of the completed amendments, which will then be available to view on the portal.

2.10     INSTRUCTION and TRAINING

The following groups of employees will receive appropriate training and information in order to fulfil the requirements of the Asbestos Policy:

Technical Employees

All employees and technicians responsible for buildings will receive appropriate training on this policy document and in the procedures to be followed when dealing with asbestos, including the steps to be taken in an emergency. New employees will receive training at the induction stage and will not be permitted to undertake any work managing asbestos until such training has been satisfactorily completed. Existing employees will be trained as part of their normal on-going training needs. Records of all training provided by the Council should be held on the individuals file on the SAP system.

Other Employees

Other employees will also receive training according to the tasks associated with their

job, e.g. those in charge of premises, such as head teachers, health and safety coordinators, facilities managers, bursars, youth centre managers, social care establishment managers, library managers and adult learning centre managers etc., as well as those undertaking tasks associated with the fabric of the building e.g. handypersons, school site managers/caretakers. This will include induction training for new employees who fall into the aforementioned categories. A record will be retained on individual’s personnel files of all training provided, and in addition will be recorded in the Asbestos Register.

Non-Employees

There will be circumstances where non-employees, e.g. school governors will require information on the management of asbestos, in order to undertake their responsibilities. The provision of such information will be the responsibility of the person in charge of the property.

Contractors

All managing directors or principals of companies used by the Council will be made aware of the Authority’s policy in respect to asbestos. It will be the responsibility of directors and principals of these companies to ensure that their employees and sub-contractors under their control are fully aware of and operate the policy relating to asbestos. Any failure on the part of a company to adhere to this policy on asbestos is likely to result in that company not being used by the Council, as well as facing the possibility of an investigation by the HSE.

Premises managers who employ contractors who have not been vetted by the Council are responsible for ensuring that those contractors are made aware of the Councils Asbestos Policy and procedures and that they adhere to them.

2.11     BUILDING TENURE

Hire/Leased-in Buildings

Where buildings are not owned or maintained by the Council, but their use is under the control of officers employed by the Authority, (e.g. office building, Group Home), the Director of Property & Assets will undertake the following:

• Obtain from the owner of the building the location and condition of known asbestos materials.
• Assess whether the management of asbestos risk complies with Council standards.
• Ensure that Service Areas whose employees are in control of such buildings are made aware of the management procedures in place and their part in that procedure, where applicable.

Service Areas in control of buildings which are hired/leased-in will be responsible for ensuring the Property Services Team is notified of any currently hired or leased buildings or any changes to the building portfolio.

Where the building owner has inadequate or no asbestos control procedures in place, or where the Council is responsible for the maintenance of the property, the Service Area will be responsible for appointing appropriate staff to the roles required under this policy to manage the controls imposed by the Council. Where the survey information is inadequate or missing, then the Director of Property & Assets will ensure adequate surveys take place. With this information Service Areas should ensure that:

• Officers in charge of hired/leased buildings are fully conversant with steps to be adopted to ensure that any activities carried out within the hire/lease building do not cause damage which brings about the release of asbestos fibres.
• Officers are conversant with the procedures to be followed in the event of an incident.

Where the landlord retains maintenance responsibilities for common/shared areas, the landlord retains responsibility for the management of asbestos in those areas.

Where shared use of a building occurs, the principal/major user will be responsible for the management of the Asbestos for that site, and for ensuring all other users are aware of and comply with this policy’s requirements.

Leased-out buildings

Where buildings are owned but not used or occupied by the Council, the body responsible for implementing this policy (the occupier) shall be identified by the terms of the lease/tenancy or similar agreement.

Agricultural Estate

In the case of the Agricultural Estate, the Council will, through its external Consultants and Managing Agents, implement this policy and the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 2012, by surveying all buildings, including those owned by the tenant, and producing a management plan for each farm or holding. This management plan will only apply to buildings owned by the Council.

Buildings Owned by Tenants

With regard to subsidiary buildings owned by the tenant, the results of the surveys will be forwarded to the tenant with a covering letter drawing the tenant’s attention to the aforementioned regulations and reminding the tenant of the obligations contained therein.

Investment Properties

The current Investment properties are all single let and compliance with this policy/legislation lies with the tenants as Duty Holders. For any future multi-let investment properties, the Council will implement this policy via its retained managing agents under the direct control of the Director of Property & Strategic Assets.

Back to Asbestos part one

Appendix 1

Glossary of Terms Used

Abraded - Rubbed or scraped away by friction.

ACM - Asbestos containing material

Artex - This is a trade name frequently used to mean any decorative textured coating,which may contain up to 2% chrysotile (white asbestos)

Asbestos - Any of the following materials: crocidolite, amosite, chrysotile, fibrous anthophyllite and any mixture of these materials.

Asbestosis -The formation of scar tissue on the lungs.

Asbestos Co-ordinator -Site-based person appointed by Duty Holder to assist main duty holder and be responsible for day-to-day management of asbestos procedures and Asbestos Register.

Asbestos Co-ordinating Officer - Officer in the Property Services Team who will oversee all proposals for the removal or treatment of asbestos and advise on initial precautions and appropriate action in consultation with the Asbestos Consultant. The names of the current Asbestos Co-ordinating Officers can be found in Appendix 3.

Asbestos Management Survey - Standard location and assessment survey, involving minor intrusive work (sampling and analysis) and some disturbance.

Blue Asbestos - Technical name for crocidolite.

Brown Asbestos - Technical name for amosite.

White Asbestos - Technical name for chrysotile.

Centrally held records - Records currently held by Property Team on behalf of the Council.

CHSC - Corporate Health & Safety Committee

Duty Holder - This is a shared role. At a corporate level it is the Chief Executive Officer. At site level it is the person with overall responsibility for managing maintenance on a site.

Encapsulate -Apply paint-type coating to affect a continuous seal to surface of the material and thereby prevent fibre release.

Enclose - Provision of physical barrier to provide mechanical protection to the material so as to prevent it being disturbed/damaged.

Fibre - Any fibre longer than 5μm, with a width less than 3μm and a length/width ratio greater than 3:1.

Fibreboard - In this context fibreboard means the ultra-lightweight soft board approx. 13mm thick, of medium brown coloured, coarse, loosely packed fibres, with a paper facing on one side. The paper facing can contain asbestos. This board disintegrates when wet. It is frequently found as an economy wall and ceiling finish and is easily damaged.

Friable - Asbestos material capable of being crumbled in the hand.

Hard Asbestos - Any asbestos material not capable of being deformed by hand except by breaking, cutting, or drilling.

H.S.C. - Health and Safety Commission.

H.S.E. - Health and Safety Executive.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) - Includes overalls, gloves, headwear, footwear, respiratory equipment.

Property Services Team - The team within the Property & Assets portfolio at Buckinghamshire Council with responsibility for the day-to-day management of the asbestos policy and remedial works.

Refurbishment and demolition surveys - A full access sampling and identification Survey. Required pre-demolition/major refurbishment). This type of survey is used to locate and describe, as far as reasonably practicable, all ACMs in the area where the refurbishment work will take place or in the whole building if demolition is planned.

Soft Asbestos - Asbestos material not friable but capable of being deformed by hand.

UKAS - accredited laboratory A laboratory which is accredited by the UK Accreditation Scheme

Wipe Test - Means of taking dust samples that have settled out of the air. Such tests are indicative only and not covered by NAMAS accreditation.

Appendix 2

Relevant Legislation

1. Legislation

• Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act 1974
• Control of Asbestos Regulations (CAR) 2012
• Control of Pollution (Amendment) Act 1989
• Environmental Protection Act 1990
• Chemicals (hazard information and packaging for supply) regulations 2002
• The Personal Protective Equipment Regulations 2002
• Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 (as amended)
• Asbestos (Prohibitions) Regulations 1992
• Asbestos (Prohibitions) Regulations (as amended) 2003
• CDM Legislation Construction (Design & Management) Regulations 2015
• Hazardous Waste Regulations in 2005
• Control of Waste (Dealing with Seized Property) (England and Wales) Regulations 2015

Appendix 3

Asbestos Co-ordinating Officers:

The current Council Asbestos Co-ordinating Officers from whom advice can be obtained are:

John Collins – Head of Property Services, Property & Assets, Buckinghamshire Council.

Matt Hayward – Head of Planned Maintenance & Projects, Property Services Team, Property & Assets, Buckinghamshire Council.

George Thompson – Head of Reactive Maintenance & Contracts, Property Services Team, Property & Assets, Buckinghamshire Council.

Peter Halsey – Compliance Officer, Property Services Team, Property & Assets, Buckinghamshire Council.

Mark Hunt – Reactive Maintenance & Contracts Manager, Property Services Team, Property & Assets, Buckinghamshire Council.

Appendix 4

Likely Types and Possible Locations of Asbestos Products

Note that the use of products containing asbestos ended in the mid-1980s. It is impossible to be more precise than this as materials may have been ‘used up’ elsewhere. This list is not exhaustive but gives an impression of the wide number of places it may be found.

Asbestos Cement - found on the roof and wall cladding systems, gutters, downpipes, cold water cisterns, corrugated sheet on outbuilding roofs.

Asbestos reinforced PVC - found in Cladding and panels.

Asbestos sectional insulation - used in Pipe insulation.

Felts - used on Rot-proof roofing materials, damp proof courses.

Millboard and paper - Insulation of electrical equipment and thermal insulation, fireproof facing on wood fiberboard.

PVC Tiles - Floor coverings.

Textiles -Fireproof clothing, gloves, fire blankets, fire curtains.

Yarns/Ropes - used for Jointing and packing materials, thermal pipe insulation, kilns, and cookers.

Kilns/brazing/welding hearths

Kilns Blankets, other flame proof materials

Work tops/benches in laboratories

Ovens

Fume Cupboards

Ironing Boards

Electrical distribution boards

Fan convectors, Storage heaters

Ventilation units

Appendix 5

Asbestos Management Plan

This Asbestos Management Plan supplements the Asbestos Policy document and the Asbestos Register.

The Responsible Person

The person in control of the maintenance of premises (Site Duty Holder) e.g. Headteachers, school governors, premises managers.

The Asbestos Register

This is an electronic document containing all the relevant asbestos information on the BC property portfolio, to be found on a web portal at: -

The Infinity Portal

All Site Duty Holders have been issued with a username and password to enable them to log on to the Asbestos Register and search for all the information relating to the buildings under their control.

Site Checks Prior to Works

This is covered in the Asbestos Policy. Confirmation that appropriate checks have been carried out are recorded.

Actions from Risk Assessment

All items identified from asbestos surveys as requiring action will be dealt with as soon as reasonably practical and in any case within that financial year, unless adequate control measures can be put in place to allow works to be delayed. Less urgent works will be dealt with according to priority and available funding as part of a planned remediation programme.

Monitoring Asbestos Containing Materials (ACMs)

In addition to the regular monitoring of ACMs by the Property Services Team under the asbestos survey term contract, sites are expected to report any concerns relating to the recorded asbestos data as part of their routine health and safety inspections.

Asbestos Contact Officers

A list of individuals in the Property Services Team with specific responsibility for assisting with asbestos-related matters can be found in Appendix 3 of the Asbestos Policy.

Appendix 6

Sample Asbestos Management Plan

Following a recent inspection to a school by the Health and Safety Executive it was recommended that all schools where asbestos is present, need to have an Asbestos Management Plan in place. Schools are recommended to maintain an Asbestos Policy, an Asbestos Log with a signing-in sheet for contractors, and evidence of the location of asbestos has been communicated to all staff (such as minutes of a staff meeting). Regular visual inspections should also be conducted to ensure the asbestos remains undamaged, with any damage being reported to Property Services or the School Trust/Board. 

Signature Sheet

Appendix 7

Useful Contacts

For general advice:

• Buckinghamshire Council Contact Centre - 0845 3708090.
• Health & Safety Team - healthandsafety@buckinghamshire.gov.uk
• If the accident, incident or near miss is serious, this should be reported immediately to the Health and Safety team via the mailbox healthandsafety@buckinghamshire.gov.uk
• In case of Asbestos related incidents you must report immediately any damage to known or suspected asbestos containing materials or debris to the Council’s Property Services team via the Property Service Mailbox propertyservice@buckinghamshire.gov.uk

For information regarding insurance claims contact the:

• Principal Insurance Officer - 01296 383197.
• For Occupational Health advice, in the first instance contact your Human Resources Officer.

External sources of Information:

• Health and Safety Executive Tel. 01234 220550
• Health and Safety Executive Website: hse.gov.uk