Armco Asbestos Training
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Armco Asbestos Training
Last Updated on July 11, 2025 by Phil Collins
If you work in construction, maintenance or any trade that involves older buildings in the UK, chances are you need asbestos awareness training. The problem is, lots of people do not realise this until it is too late.
The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 are clear on this, if you might encounter asbestos, you need training first, so you are able to spot it before disturbing it. No exceptions.
Anyone working on buildings built before the year 2000 should assume there’s asbestos somewhere. We are talking about electricians pulling cables through ceiling voids, plumbers ripping out old radiators, carpenters taking down partition walls, roofers replacing tiles and decorators stripping wallpaper.
Take a typical rewiring job in a 1970s house. You will be drilling through walls, lifting floorboards, accessing loft spaces – all prime spots for asbestos. Same goes for bathroom renovations or kitchen fits. These materials were everywhere back then.
Facilities managers, maintenance teams, caretakers – anyone keeping buildings running needs this training. You never know when a simple repair job will turn into an asbestos situation. Fixing a leaky pipe might mean disturbing old lagging. Replacing a light fitting could mean breaking through asbestos ceiling tiles.
HVAC engineers are particularly at risk. Old boiler rooms, ductwork, pipe insulation – asbestos was the go-to material for decades.
Telecoms engineers threading cables through old buildings, alarm fitters accessing roof spaces, flooring contractors pulling up old vinyl tiles, kitchen fitters removing units – the list goes on. If your job takes you into buildings that predate the asbestos ban, you are potentially at risk.
Even estate agents and surveyors poking around older properties should know what they are looking at.
Firefighters, police, paramedics – anyone who might end up in damaged or derelict buildings during emergencies. When structures are compromised, asbestos materials that were safely tucked away can become a real hazard.
Most people need basic asbestos awareness. This covers recognising asbestos materials, understanding the risks, and knowing what to do if you find it. It is not rocket science, but it could save your life.
Some jobs need more intensive training for example if you are deliberately working with known asbestos materials.
If you are an employer, you cannot just cross your fingers and hope for the best. You need to work out who in your team might encounter asbestos, get them trained, and keep those training records up to date. The HSE takes this stuff seriously – with unlimited fines and potential prison time for directors who do not comply.
Simple rule of thumb: if you are working on anything built before 2000, assume asbestos is present until proven otherwise. Maintenance work, refurbishments, even minor repairs can disturb materials you did not know were there.
Besides the legal requirements, there is the small matter of not wanting to develop mesothelioma in 20 years’ time. Asbestos-related diseases are nasty, and they are entirely preventable with proper precautions.
Plus, finding asbestos unexpectedly can shut down your job for weeks while specialists sort it out. Much better to know what you are dealing with upfront.
If you work with buildings, especially older ones, you need asbestos awareness training. It is not complicated, it does not take long, and it might just save your life. Given the choice between a day’s training and a terminal illness, it is a no-brainer really.
Published Jul 11, 2025
