Last Updated on November 21, 2025 by Phil Collins

When money’s tight, training gets pushed to the bottom of the list. Asbestos awareness training probably feels like another expense you could do without. But here’s the thing – skipping it costs way more than paying for it ever would.

The Legal Nightmare

The HSE takes asbestos seriously. If you’re likely to come into contact with it at work, training isn’t optional, it’s mandatory. Some businesses think they can get away without it, they can’t.

The fines are brutal… we’re talking unlimited penalties, enforcement notices, and in some cases, prosecution. One inspection (or one incident) and you’re suddenly facing legal bills that make training costs look miniscule. A single HSE prosecution can hit you for tens of thousands, and that’s before you’ve even paid your solicitor.

When Someone Gets Sick

This is the bit that actually terrifies us. Asbestos causes mesothelioma, asbestosis and lung cancer. These diseases take years to show up, sometimes decades, but when they do, it’s often too late to do anything about it.

The human cost is horrific. The financial cost for your business? Compensation claims regularly hit six figures. Even worse, these claims can come 20 or 30 years after the exposure happened. A decision you make today about skipping training could bankrupt your business in 2045, it’s happened to plenty of companies already.

The Project That Grinds to a Halt

Imagine this: you’re halfway through a job when someone disturbs asbestos. Nobody spotted it because nobody has had the training to know what they’re looking at, so everything stops. Now you need emergency asbestos removal, decontamination, health checks for everyone on site, and probably the HSE turning up asking questions.

A two-week project becomes a two-month nightmare. You’re paying people serious money to stand around, along with paying specialist removal teams. You might also be paying compensation to other contractors who can’t work. All because nobody knew how to identify asbestos or what to do around it.

Insurance Gets Messy

Most business insurance policies want proof you’ve got adequate asbestos training and management in place. Skip it and your insurance might not cover asbestos incidents which puts you personally on the hook for whatever it costs.

Even if they do pay out, your premiums will go through the roof after an asbestos claim. Some businesses become completely uninsurable after serious incidents. Try winning contracts when you can’t get liability cover, it’s impossible.

Your Reputation Takes a Beating

The construction and property world is small, everyone knows everyone. One asbestos incident (especially if it involves someone getting exposed or the HSE getting involved) and people talk. Clients start having doubts, other contractors don’t want to work with you and you lose tenders you would have won easily before.

These days with social media, that reputation damage sticks around forever. One bad incident can cost you work for years afterwards.

Good People Leave

Nobody wants to work for a company that cuts corners on safety. If your team finds out you’ve been skipping mandatory training to save cash, they lose trust in you. The good ones leave and the ones who stay aren’t happy about it.

Replacing staff is expensive. Recruitment, lost productivity, training new people and dodgy morale, all to save a bit on training costs.

What It Actually Costs

This is the annoying bit. Actual asbestos training doesn’t cost much. Awareness courses take a few hours. Non-licensed work training is a day or two. Even the comprehensive management courses are affordable.

Look at what we’ve just talked about: unlimited fines, six-figure compensation claims, projects delayed costing thousands per day, insurance premiums doubling or losing contracts because your reputation’s shot. Compare that to a few hundred quid per person for training.

It’s not even close.

Just Get It Done

We see businesses every week who’ve had a scare or an actual incident. They all say the same thing: we wish we’d sorted this years ago.

Asbestos training isn’t about ticking boxes, it’s about keeping people safe and keeping your business out of trouble. The costs of not doing it are massive compared to just getting everyone trained.

At Armco, we make it easy. Flexible options, experienced trainers and fully accredited courses that meet HSE requirements. Get in touch and let’s get your team sorted. Because the only thing more expensive than training is finding out what happens when you skip it.

Published Nov 07, 2025