Asbestos Awareness Training: What CAR 2012 Regulation 10 Requires
If your workers enter pre-2000 buildings, the law requires them to have asbestos awareness training before they start. Not when it is convenient. Before they start. Regulation 10 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 is one of the most widely breached provisions in UK health and safety law — and one of the most straightforward to comply with.
The Legal Basis: CAR 2012 Regulation 10
Regulation 10 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 places a duty on every employer to ensure that workers who are liable to be exposed to asbestos, or who supervise such workers, receive adequate information, instruction, and training. The duty is not limited to asbestos contractors. It applies to any employer whose workers may encounter asbestos during their normal activities — which, in the UK's pre-2000 building stock, means the vast majority of construction and maintenance trades.
The HSE estimates that approximately 5,000 people die each year in the UK from asbestos-related diseases, making asbestos the single largest cause of work-related death in the country. Research published in the Journal of Building Survey, Appraisal & Valuation (Honing, 2024) confirms this figure and notes that the asbestos sector continues to face significant challenges in raising awareness among the broader construction workforce. A 2016 study by Knibbs found that despite the existence of CAR 2012, exposure continues to occur in the UK construction industry — particularly among small and medium-sized enterprises — and that knowledge gaps remain the primary driver of preventable incidents.
Structured training changes this. A 2025 study by Tetik et al. in the Turkish Journal of Civil Engineering, evaluating an asbestos awareness training programme across 813 construction workers, found that post-training scores increased by up to 300% in certain regions, with statistically significant improvements across all groups. Tuncer et al. (2025) similarly found that training significantly improved asbestos knowledge among demolition workers who had previously received no formal instruction. The evidence is consistent: training works, and the absence of it is the primary reason workers are still being exposed.
The Three Categories of Asbestos Training
The HSE and UKATA structure asbestos training into three categories, each corresponding to a level of asbestos work. The category required depends on what the worker actually does — not simply on whether they work near asbestos.
Category A — Asbestos Awareness
CAR 2012 Regulation 10
All workers who may encounter asbestos during their normal work — including plumbers, electricians, joiners, plasterers, painters, heating engineers, IT installers, and building surveyors
What asbestos is, where it is found, the health risks, how to recognise ACMs, and what to do if asbestos is discovered or disturbed unexpectedly
Annual refresher recommended; no fixed statutory interval
No HSE notification required for the training itself
Any competent training provider — UKATA-approved providers recommended
Category B — Non-Licensed Work with Asbestos
CAR 2012 Regulations 10 & 16
Workers who carry out non-licensed asbestos work, including notifiable non-licensed work (NNLW) — for example, removing asbestos cement sheets, Artex, or floor tiles
Category A content plus: how to carry out non-licensed work safely, correct PPE selection and use, decontamination procedures, waste disposal requirements, and NNLW notification duties
Annual refresher recommended
NNLW must be notified to the HSE before work starts
UKATA-approved provider strongly recommended
Category C — Licensed Asbestos Work
CAR 2012 Regulations 10, 16 & 20
Operatives, supervisors, and managers working for an HSE-licensed asbestos contractor
Category A and B content plus: licensed work procedures, enclosure construction, negative pressure systems, decontamination unit use, air monitoring, and four-stage clearance
Annual refresher required; certificates typically valid for one year
14 days' advance notification to the HSE required before licensed work begins
UKATA-approved provider required
Which Trades Are Most at Risk?
The HSE's guidance on Regulation 10 identifies a broad range of trades as being in scope. The table below covers the trades most commonly encountered in Surrey, London, and the South East, together with the specific ACMs they are most likely to disturb. Research by Pratt et al. (2010) specifically identified electricians, plumbers, carpenters, and painters as the four highest-risk trades for asbestos exposure during routine maintenance work.
| Trade | ACMs most likely to be disturbed |
|---|---|
| Plumbers & Heating Engineers | Pipe lagging, boiler flues, asbestos rope gaskets, asbestos cement flue pipes |
| Electricians | Asbestos insulating board (AIB) in consumer units and cable runs; ceiling voids with AIB tiles |
| Joiners & Carpenters | AIB in fire doors, partition walls, and ceiling tiles; asbestos rope in door frames |
| Plasterers | Textured coatings (Artex) on ceilings and walls in pre-2000 properties |
| Painters & Decorators | Textured coatings disturbed by sanding; AIB surfaces prepared for painting |
| Roofers | Asbestos cement corrugated sheets, flat sheets, and ridge tiles |
| Demolition Workers | All ACM types across the full building fabric |
| Facilities Managers & Caretakers | Any ACM disturbed during maintenance — particularly in pre-2000 commercial and public buildings |
What Asbestos Awareness Training Covers
Category A training — the baseline requirement for most tradespeople — covers five core areas. Research by Hickey et al. (2015) in Industrial Health found that ASA-trained managers were significantly more aware of their responsibilities towards employees at specific risk of asbestos exposure, confirming that structured training produces measurable behavioural change beyond simple knowledge acquisition.
What asbestos is and where it is found
The three main commercial types — chrysotile (white), amosite (brown), and crocidolite (blue) — and the materials in which they were used. Trainees learn to identify the most common ACMs in UK buildings: AIB, pipe lagging, textured coatings, asbestos cement, floor tiles, and asbestos rope.
The health risks and why they matter
The four asbestos-related diseases — mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis, and pleural thickening — and the latency period of 20 to 50 years. Trainees understand that there is no safe level of exposure and that the cumulative dose determines the risk.
How to recognise ACMs in the field
Practical guidance on identifying suspected ACMs by age, location, and appearance. Trainees learn which materials to treat as asbestos until proven otherwise, and how to arrange a sample test or survey before disturbing a suspect material.
What to do if asbestos is found or disturbed
The stop-work procedure: isolate the area, prevent fibre spread, inform the supervisor, and contact a licensed contractor. Trainees learn the difference between a management survey and a refurbishment survey, and when each is required.
Legal duties under CAR 2012
The three categories of asbestos work, the duty to manage under Regulation 4, the training requirement under Regulation 10, and the NNLW notification duties under Regulation 9. Trainees understand which category their work falls into and what the law requires of them.
Employer Duties Under Regulation 10
The training duty under Regulation 10 sits with the employer — not the worker. An employer who sends untrained workers into a building where asbestos may be present is in breach of CAR 2012, regardless of whether an incident occurs. The HSE's enforcement approach treats the absence of training records as prima facie evidence of non-compliance.
- Provide training before workers are first exposed to asbestos — not after
- Keep training records for the duration of employment and for a reasonable period after
- Arrange refresher training annually (or before certificate expiry for Cat B and C)
- Ensure self-employed workers you engage hold current training certificates
- Review training requirements when workers' roles or work locations change
Three Mistakes That Lead to Enforcement Action
Category A online training meets the Regulation 10 requirement only if it covers the full required content and is refreshed regularly. A certificate from five years ago does not demonstrate current competence. The HSE expects training records to show that workers have received up-to-date instruction — not simply that they once completed a course.
When you engage a self-employed tradesperson or subcontractor, you retain a duty to ensure they are competent to work safely in your building. Asking for a copy of their current training certificate before they start is not bureaucracy — it is a legal requirement under Regulation 10 and a basic due diligence step.
Training teaches workers to recognise suspected ACMs and to stop work if they encounter them. It does not tell them whether a specific material in a specific building contains asbestos. A management survey or refurbishment survey is required for that. Training and surveys are complementary obligations — neither replaces the other.
Complete Your Compliance Picture
Asbestos awareness training is one part of a broader compliance framework. The guides below cover the other obligations that apply to tradespeople and employers working in pre-2000 buildings.
Frequently Asked Questions
References
- [1] Tuncer, K. et al. (2025). Improving asbestos knowledge among demolition workers through training after earthquakes. WORK. Consensus
- [2] Tetik, Y.O. et al. (2025). Strengthening OHS Perspective through Asbestos Training in the Turkish Construction Industry. Turkish Journal of Civil Engineering. Consensus
- [3] Hickey, J. et al. (2015). The extent and influence of Asbestos Safety Awareness training among managers. Industrial Health. Consensus
- [4] Knibbs, G. (2016). Asbestos: Are Construction Workers of Great Britain truly aware of the risks? Consensus
- [5] Partington, C. (2016). Asbestos Awareness Within the Construction Industry. Consensus
- [6] Honing, N. (2024). Asbestos and the skills gap. Journal of Building Survey, Appraisal & Valuation. Consensus
- [7] Pratt, B. et al. (2010). Asbestos Exposure and Compliance Study of Construction and Maintenance Workers. Consensus
Found Asbestos on a Job?
Stop work, isolate the area, and call our team. We provide same-day surveys across Surrey and London and can advise on whether the work is licensed, NNLW, or non-licensed.