Work Activities · 6 checks · 1 critical

Asbestos Awareness
safety audit checklist

Surveys, registers, awareness, stop-work procedures.

Every check below says what good looks like, when it passes, the regulation or HSE guidance it rests on and the defects that usually fail it. Critical checks are marked: a fail on one of those stops the activity.

  1. 1.
    Asbestos survey reviewed before any intrusive works
    What to look forFor pre-2000 buildings: Refurbishment/Demolition Survey (R&D) covering specific area before intrusive work; Management Survey for occupied building. Survey by UKAS-accredited or BOHS competent organisation. Reviewed by site team before works. Sample IDs cross-referenced to drawings/locations.
    Acceptable whenControl of Asbestos Regs 2012 Reg 5, duty to determine if ACMs present before any work. HSG264, Asbestos: The survey guide. R&D survey for refurb/demo (more intrusive); Management survey for in-use building.
    StandardControl of Asbestos Regs 2012. HSG264. HSG227, A comprehensive guide to managing asbestos in premises. UKAS ISO/IEC 17020 for survey bodies.
    Common defectsManagement survey only used for refurbishment workSurvey from years ago not validated to current conditionAreas not surveyed (e.g. above suspended ceiling, behind ducts)Operatives breaking through unknown wall, no survey checkSurvey on file but not briefed at induction
  2. 2.
    Asbestos register available on site
    What to look forAsbestos register (from survey) physically and digitally available on site. Updated when ACMs removed, encapsulated, or new ones found. Linked to permit-to-work for any work near identified ACMs. All operatives know how to access. Photographs of identified materials to aid recognition.
    Acceptable whenControl of Asbestos Regs 2012 Reg 4, duty to manage. Register kept up to date. Linked to risk assessments and permit systems. Available to anyone who may disturb ACMs (including subcontractors).
    StandardControl of Asbestos Regs 2012 Reg 4. HSG227. HSG264.
    Common defectsRegister in office only, not on siteNot updated after removal worksSubcontractors not given access at inductionPhotos absent, operatives can't recognise materialsLocations described in text only, ambiguous
  3. 3.
    Asbestos awareness training completed by all operatives
    What to look forCategory A, Asbestos Awareness training certificate within last 12 months for any operative whose work could disturb ACMs. CITB / UKATA / IATP accredited course. Records on file. Refresher annually. Higher categories (B, C) for licensed work, not applicable to general site operatives.
    Acceptable whenControl of Asbestos Regs 2012 Reg 10, information, instruction and training for anyone liable to disturb ACMs. Annual refresher recommended. Recognised providers: UKATA, IATP, CITB.
    StandardControl of Asbestos Regs 2012 Reg 10. ACOP L143. HSG264.
    Common defectsTraining expired (>12 months)No certificates on file for new startersTrades likely to disturb ACMs (electricians, plumbers) untrainedOnline training only, no proof of competenceNo refresher, trained once 5 years ago
  4. 4.
    Suspect materials, STOP WORK procedure understood
    Critical: a fail stops the work
    What to look forBriefing covers: STOP work immediately, evacuate area, isolate, double-bag PPE, do not disturb further, contact site management, sample tested by UKAS lab before resuming. Posters at common entry points. Tested at induction quizzes. RIDDOR-reportable if exposure occurred.
    Acceptable whenControl of Asbestos Regs 2012 + RIDDOR 2013. STOP procedure mandatory in RAMS. Sample analysis by UKAS-accredited lab to identify fibre type. Possible reportable exposure under RIDDOR.
    StandardControl of Asbestos Regs 2012. RIDDOR 2013 (dangerous occurrence). HSG264. HSG248, analysis methods.
    Common defectsOperatives keep working "to finish the wall"No clear point of contact in stop procedureNo sampling laboratory pre-arranged, delayExposure not investigated as RIDDOR notifiableDisturbed material left exposed, secondary contamination
  5. 5.
    Licensed contractor engaged for any removal works
    What to look forHSE-licensed asbestos removal contractor for licensable work (most insulating board, sprayed coating, lagging, loose fill). 14-day notification (ASB5) submitted to HSE before start. Air monitoring by independent UKAS analyst. 4-stage clearance certificate before re-entry. Non-licensable work (NNLW) by trained operative under formal procedures still requires notification (some).
    Acceptable whenControl of Asbestos Regs 2012 Reg 8, licensing of work. Reg 9, notification (14-day). Reg 18-20, air monitoring, 4-stage clearance. Licensable / NNLW / non-licensed categories defined HSG210.
    StandardControl of Asbestos Regs 2012. ACOP L143. HSG210, Asbestos essentials. HSG189, Asbestos: licensed contractors' guide.
    Common defectsSite labour stripping AIB, should be licensedNo ASB5 notification submittedNo 4-stage clearance, re-occupied with residual fibreIndependent analyst replaced by removal contractor (no independence)NNLW work undertaken without proper procedures
  6. 6.
    Encapsulated/labelled ACMs identified and undamaged
    What to look forACMs marked with asbestos warning labels (white/black diamond per Reg 2012). Encapsulation (paint/membrane) intact, no damage from impact, water leaks, or vermin. Inspections logged. Damage triggers re-assessment by ACOP-trained surveyor. Existing ACMs in good condition often best left in place.
    Acceptable whenControl of Asbestos Regs 2012 Reg 4, manage by labelling, monitoring condition, taking action if damage. HSG227. Annual condition inspection recorded. Standard ISO 7010 hazard label.
    StandardControl of Asbestos Regs 2012. HSG227. HSG264. ISO 7010 W022 (asbestos hazard pictogram).
    Common defectsLabels missing / removed during decorationEncapsulation chipped or peelingWater staining, material softeningAnnual inspection not completedOperatives drilling into a labelled ACM

Questions people ask

How often should a asbestos awareness audit be done?

Weekly is the common rhythm for a live site, plus whenever the work, the plant or the people change and after any incident or near miss. What matters is that it is scored, recorded, dated and the actions are closed out, not the exact frequency. Guidance, not legal advice.

What is the difference between a safety audit and an inspection?

An inspection looks at the site. An audit checks the system as well: is the paperwork there, do the people know it, is what was promised actually happening. On a small site the words blur, and that is fine. The checks below cover both.

What happens with a failed item?

A corrective action with an owner and a date, and a photo of the fail so nobody argues later. 1 of the 6 checks here are marked critical: a fail on one of those stops that activity until it is put right.

Who should carry out the audit?

A competent person, and where possible not the person whose work is being looked at. The site manager auditing the site manager's housekeeping is better than nothing, but a visiting supervisor or the SHEQ lead sees what the regular eye has stopped noticing.

Is a site safety audit a legal requirement?

The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 require arrangements for monitoring your health and safety measures (regulation 5), and CDM 2015 requires every contractor to plan, manage and monitor the work under their control (regulation 15). A recorded, scored audit is how you show that is happening. Guidance, not legal advice.

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