Last Updated on January 22, 2026 by Phil Collins

Asbestos training is one of those things that gets pushed to the bottom of the list, there is always something more urgent. But if you are putting it off until you actually need it, you are making life harder for yourself.

What’s Asbestos Awareness Training Anyway?

It is mandatory if you could be exposed to asbestos at work. The HSE do not mess about with this, it is a legal requirement.

You learn about what asbestos actually is, what it does to your lungs, where you are likely to find it, and what you should do if you come across it.

If you are an electrician, plumber, joiner, builder, painter, roofer, heating engineer or working in demolition, you need this. Anyone working on buildings from before 2000 really, because that’s when asbestos was still being used.

Why Winter Works

Your Diary’s Not Rammed

January and February are dead for most trades. Christmas is done, spring work has not started, and you have actually got time to sit through training without your phone going crazy.

Good training needs time. You need to be able to ask questions and actually think about what is being said. It’s hard to do that when you are meant to be on three different jobs.

Beat the Rush

Come March and April, everyone suddenly remembers they need their asbestos training sorted. Training providers get booked solid, you cannot get the dates you want, and you end up paying more because you are desperate.

Do it now and you pick your dates, whether that is at your place of work or at the training centre in Bury. Courses take 1 to 15 people, but the good slots go first.

You are Ready When Work Comes In

Spring is when building work kicks off. Refurbs, renovations and all the jobs people have been planning over winter. If your training is not sorted, you are turning down work or scrambling to get certificates at the last minute.

The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 say employers have to make sure anyone who might be exposed to asbestos gets adequate information, instruction and training. You cannot blag it.

Online or Classroom?

This generally depends how you learn best.

Online Courses

The online course is IATP approved and HSE compliant. It is made by people who actually know the industry, not some generic training company churning out courses about everything under the sun.

You can do it on your phone, tablet or laptop. Early morning, late at night or whenever suits. Each bit has a quick test at the end, pass the lot and you get your certificate.

When it is freezing and chucking it down, doing the training from home in your jogger’s beats driving to a training centre.

Face to Face

Some of you learn better in person. The classroom courses use PowerPoint, but it is delivered well and we use actual photos showing you what to look for.

The rooms are clean and bright, with comfortable chairs, free tea and coffee and toilets that do not make you want to hold it in.

The trainers have been in the asbestos industry for over 15 20 years. They have done the work, not just read about it. They have got the professional qualifications, but more importantly they have got stories about what actually happens on site.

Not All Training is Equal

Most asbestos awareness courses are box ticking exercises. They get you through the test, hand you a certificate, next!

But there is a difference between courses tailored around your area of business and generic ones that treat everyone the same. What an electrician needs to know is not quite the same as what a roofer needs to know.

Good training is designed to satisfy the HSE regulations, but also actually be useful when you are stood there wondering if those ceiling tiles are deadly.

Refresher Training

If you did asbestos awareness training ages ago, you probably need a refresher. There is no legal rule saying you have to, but it is recommended you review every year.

Why? Because you forget stuff. Rules change and if something goes wrong, “I did a course in 2018” is not going to cut it.

Refresher courses exist specifically for people who have previously received asbestos awareness training and need to refresh their knowledge and skills. They’re shorter because you are not starting from scratch.

If You Need More Than Awareness

Basic awareness will help you avoid disturbing asbestos, if you might accidentally come across asbestos. But if you are doing work that will knowingly disturb asbestos containing materials, you need non licensed training.

This is for maintenance workers and their supervisors doing minor repair and maintenance activities involving asbestos. It goes deeper and includes practical exercises or completing tasks safely.

Each course is about 4 hours (half day), or you can do awareness and non-licensed on the same day for a full day. You can add face fit testing too this is also a legal requirement for tight-fitting respirators.

Training for Managers

If you are a building owner, manager or responsible for maintaining buildings, there’s specific management of asbestos in buildings training. This gives you comprehensive training on how to manage asbestos in buildings.

The duty to manage asbestos sits with you. You cannot just hand it off to someone else and forget about it. If you are responsible for a property, you need to know what the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 actually require from you.

Flexible Options

Training can work around when suits you. Trainers can come to your place, or you go to theirs. For 6 or more people, having them come to you makes sense. For smaller numbers, using an established training room works better.

There are also in house courses held twice a month for combined awareness and non-licensed training, both refresher (half day) and initial training (1 day). These are at head offices, but they book up quickly.

Face Fit Testing

Face fit testing is mandatory for anyone working with asbestos. It makes sure RPE is correctly fitted and actually working.

There is also a face fit ‘train the tester’ course for people who need to test other people. COVID made everyone suddenly care about masks and air quality but face fit testing has been legally required since the late 90s.

Using Your Training

Getting trained in winter means you are sorted before you need to be. Your employees are qualified and your business is compliant. When spring jobs come in, you can say yes instead of “we need another two weeks to sort training”.

All the courses are fully approved by IATP and meet HSE requirements. That is not marketing waffle, it means they have been independently audited and actually meet the standards.

Training should reflect how your workday is today, so you can use it straight away, not in three months when you have forgotten half of it.

Just Get It Done

Winter gives you the time to sort asbestos awareness courses without the usual chaos. Whether it is basic awareness for the team, non-licensed for maintenance staff, or management training for whoever is in charge, doing it now means it is done.

The HSE are clear that training is not optional, but when you do it matters. Winter timing, smaller groups, and trainers who actually know the industry make a difference to whether the training sticks or gets forgotten the minute you leave.

Don’t wait until you need the certificate tomorrow and you are ringing round trying to find someone who can fit you in, sort it while you have got breathing room.

Published Dec 18, 2025