Asbestos Policy

Policy statement

The University of Dundee acknowledges its responsibilities to prevent exposure of people to asbestos and the legislative requirements to manage asbestos within its estate. The University is following current best practice in asbestos management and is committed to providing full information on asbestos to anyone who may be exposed and affected by asbestos under the University’s control.

Arrangements

Director Campus Services is responsible for implementing this safety policy arrangement but s/he may delegate actions to line managers and Asbestos Manager.

A management (Type 2) asbestos survey of University estate has been used to compile a register of the University’s asbestos containing materials (ACM). Inaccessible areas that were excluded from the survey are presumed to contain asbestos. Refurbishment or demolition (Type 3) surveys will be organized in areas that are presumed to contain asbestos before demolition/structural work is carried out.

ACM management will be based on a risk assessment of exposure to asbestos fibres. Depending upon factors such as location, condition, type of material and number of people exposed one of the following actions will be taken for all ACM within University estate: leave, remove, repair or encapsulate. The condition of ACM left in situ will be inspected and recorded regularly: the frequency of inspection will be based on risk assessment, or at intervals not greater than one year.

E&B will identify all ACMs left in situ so that it remains undisturbed. Plant rooms and service ducts containing asbestos must be kept locked and labelled ‘Contact E&B for access permit’ ‘Authorised personnel only’.

Before any work is carried out on building fabric or fixtures the Asbestos Register must be checked for the presence of ACM. Only essential work may be carried out on ACM following risk assessment:

Low risk, licence not required, but full precautions taken

A licence will not be required where:

• the exposure of employees to asbestos is sporadic and of low intensity (that is, less than 0.6 fibres per cm3 of air averaged over any continuous 10 min period);
• it is clear from the risk assessment that the exposure of any employee will not exceed the control limit (that is, 0.1 fibres per cm3 of air averaged over any continuous 4 hour period); and
• the work involves short, non-continuous maintenance activities, removal of materials in which the asbestos fibres are firmly linked in a matrix, encapsulation or sealing of asbestos-containing materials which are in good condition, or air monitoring and control, and the collection and analysis of samples to ascertain whether a specific material contains asbestos.

E&B will risk assess the task in detail and use a method statement from HSE guidance HSG 210 ‘Asbestos Essentials, Task Manual’. E&B will keep records of an individual’s work.

Low risk, notifiable but licence not required

Notifiable non-licensed work is not undertaken by E&B staff. It is undertaken by a licensed contractor.

High risk, licence required

Only a licensed contractor from approved list held by E&B can carry out this work. The contractor is responsible for HSE notification and compliance with legislation and ACOP. E&B are responsible for supervision of licensed contractors.

Staff must report through their School/Directorate Safety Representative any damage to, or deterioration of, ACM, or material they suspect to be ACM to Safety Services and E&B. They should contact Safety Services to arrange for disposal of equipment that contains or may contain ACM (for example: ovens and furnaces).

Document information