When this template fits
Anyone whose work could disturb the fabric of a pre-2000 building may encounter asbestos, and this asbestos awareness risk assessment is for those workers — strip-out crews, maintenance trades, refurbishment contractors — not for licensed removal teams. Its purpose is to make sure operatives can recognise asbestos-containing materials in situ and know exactly what to do if they find them. Principal contractors and clients ask for it to evidence that everyone on a refurbishment or demolition site has been informed, instructed and trained to awareness level before work starts.
What this RAMS includes
- ✓ 8 task-specific hazards scored on a 5×5 matrix (initial → residual)
- ✓ Specific control measures for each hazard, in hierarchy-of-control order
- ✓ A 10-step method statement (sequence of works)
- ✓ PPE, plant/equipment, permits and competence requirements
- ✓ Emergency arrangements and operative briefing / sign-off section
Scope of works
Recognise and avoid disturbing asbestos-containing materials; stop and report.
Sequence of works
- 1Before mobilising, obtain and read the Refurbishment & Demolition asbestos survey report. Confirm all areas to be worked in are surveyed; if not, stop and arrange an intrusive survey by a competent surveyor.
- 2Attend site induction covering ACM locations, condition, survey drawings, the stop-and-report procedure and emergency contacts. Confirm all operatives hold valid Category A asbestos awareness training.
- 3Walk the work area with the survey drawings before starting. Identify and physically cordon off all ACM locations with barriers and warning signs. Ensure no work activities are planned within the exclusion zones.
- 4Conduct a COSHH assessment and toolbox talk for the specific strip-out activities. Brief operatives on materials likely to be encountered and the presumptive ACM approach for any unidentified materials in pre-2000 construction.
- 5Commence strip-out working away from identified ACM locations. Use wet methods or H-class vacuum collection if dust is generated. Prohibit dry sweeping and dry cutting of any suspect material.
- 6If any material is encountered that is not on the survey or looks suspect (fibrous insulation, textured coatings, corrugated sheets, pipe lagging, floor tiles with black adhesive), stop work immediately, leave the area calmly without disturbing the material, and secure the zone.
- 7Report the suspect material to the supervisor who must notify the Principal Contractor. Do not allow any person to re-enter the area until a UKAS-accredited analyst has sampled and given clearance, or a licensed asbestos contractor has made the area safe.
- 8On completion of each work session, follow the decontamination procedure: remove and bag disposable coveralls inside the work zone, wash hands and face thoroughly, and dispose of single-use PPE in sealed waste bags.
- 9Ensure all waste materials from strip-out are correctly segregated. Any waste confirmed or suspected to contain asbestos must be double-bagged in red-stripe asbestos waste bags, labelled and removed by a licensed waste carrier to a licensed disposal site.
- 10Record all findings, near-misses and stop-work events in the site diary and report to the Principal Contractor for update of the asbestos register.
Hazards, risk rating & controls
Risk = likelihood × severity (1–25). Initial is before controls; residual is with controls applied.
Asbestos fibre inhalation
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Obtain and review the Refurbishment and Demolition (R&D) asbestos survey report before any work begins. Do not start strip-out if survey is absent or areas are unsurveyed.
- › Brief all operatives on the location, type and condition of identified ACMs using the survey drawings and register. Clearly mark or cordon off ACM locations.
- › Implement a written stop-work procedure: if suspected ACM is encountered, operatives stop immediately, leave the area, and report to the supervisor. No further work until a licensed asbestos analyst assesses the material.
- › Wear a correctly face-fit-tested disposable FFP3 respirator when working in proximity to ACMs identified as in poor condition or where disturbance risk is elevated.
Asbestos awareness knowledge gap
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Ensure all operatives hold current Category A asbestos awareness training (renewed at least every 3 years) before entering a refurbishment site.
- › Provide operatives with a photographic reference card or toolbox talk sheet showing common ACMs found in the building type and age being refurbished.
Dust inhalation from unknown materials
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Prohibit dry sweeping, dry drilling or dry grinding of any suspect material. Use vacuum collection with H-class HEPA filtration or wet methods instead.
- › Complete a COSHH assessment for all materials likely to be disturbed, referencing the asbestos survey and SDS sheets for other substances.
- › Wear a correctly fitted FFP3 respirator when generating dust from any unconfirmed material in a pre-2000 building.
Inadvertent ACM disturbance by other trades
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Establish clearly signed and physically cordoned exclusion zones around all identified ACMs. No works permitted within the zone until ACMs are removed by a licensed contractor.
- › Principal Contractor must communicate ACM locations to all sub-contractors through inductions, permit-to-work systems and site notices.
Contaminated clothing spread
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Wear Type 5/6 disposable coveralls when working near suspect ACMs. Remove by rolling inside-out in the contaminated area and place in a sealed waste bag before leaving the zone.
- › Provide a defined decontamination route and facilities. Operatives must not remove PPE until clear of the contaminated area and must not take suspected contaminated clothing home.
Unlabelled or concealed ACMs
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Treat all unidentified insulation, boards, textured coatings and floor tiles in pre-2000 buildings as asbestos-containing unless sampled and confirmed otherwise by a UKAS-accredited analyst.
- › Commission an R&D asbestos survey by a competent surveyor for any area not previously accessed before demolition or strip-out commences in that zone.
Slips, trips and falls on debris
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Maintain clear gangways throughout strip-out by scheduling regular debris clearance. Do not allow build-up of materials in walkways.
- › Provide temporary lighting to maintain safe working illuminance throughout the strip-out area, especially where windows are boarded.
- › Wear safety boots to EN ISO 20345 (S1P or S3) with steel toecap and puncture-resistant midsole.
Manual handling of heavy materials
Who’s at risk: Operatives, Other trades on site
- › Cut or break down large sections before attempting manual removal to reduce individual load weight to manageable levels.
- › Use sack trucks, pallet trucks, mini-skips or mechanical chutes to move and transport stripped materials where practicable.
- › Use a co-ordinated two-person or team lift technique for loads that cannot be mechanically handled; brief team on technique before lifting.
PPE
- ✓ Safety footwear (EN ISO 20345)
- ✓ Hi-vis clothing
- ✓ Safety gloves (task-appropriate)
- ✓ Hard hat (EN 397) where overhead risk or site rules require
- ✓ Disposable RPE (FFP3)
- ✓ Disposable coveralls (Type 5)
- ✓ RPE (FFP3 or as risk-assessed) with face-fit
Competence
- ✓ Site induction completed; CSCS or equivalent where the site requires it
Schemes (CSCS, PASMA, IPAF…) evidence competence; they are not statutory requirements in themselves.
Plant & equipment
- › Refurbishment and demolition (R&D) survey and asbestos register
- › ACM identification reference guide and photographs
- › Warning signage and barrier tape to seal a discovery
- › Polythene sheeting to cover a disturbed material
- › Asbestos discovery report form and incident log
Permits & legislation
What principal contractors usually check
- ✓ The RAMS explicitly excludes licensed work and NNLW — reviewers reject any awareness document that implies operatives may remove asbestos.
- ✓ An R&D survey to HSG264 is referenced, not a management survey, for refurbishment or demolition work.
- ✓ The reg 11 emergency procedure names who stops work, how the area is sealed and who is told.
- ✓ The document is site-specific — real address, access arrangements and dates, not a generic template
- ✓ Hazards match the actual task and the controls are specific (not “take care” and “use PPE”)
- ✓ Named supervisor and competent person, with operative sign-off space
- ✓ Emergency and rescue arrangements that work for this site
The report builder runs these as pre-submission checks before you download — or run an existing document through the free RAMS pre-submission checker.
Frequently asked questions
Does asbestos awareness training let me remove asbestos?
No. Asbestos awareness training under CAR 2012 regulation 10 is information and instruction only — it teaches you to recognise asbestos and to stop and report if you find it. It does not qualify you to remove, sample or otherwise disturb any asbestos-containing material. Licensed work and notifiable non-licensed work (NNLW) must be carried out by a licensed or notified contractor with the right training, equipment and notification. If you find suspected asbestos, the only correct action under this RAMS is to stop, withdraw and report.
What do I do if I find suspected asbestos during the works?
Follow the regulation 11 emergency procedure: stop work straight away, do not disturb the material any further, and leave the area. Seal off and prevent access so no one else walks into it or spreads contamination, and report the discovery to your supervisor and the principal contractor immediately. Work in that location stays on hold until a licensed survey or sampling confirms whether it is asbestos and, if so, a licensed contractor deals with it. You should never try to clean it up, bag it or carry on around it yourself.
What regulations apply to asbestos awareness?
Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH), Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, reg 3 — risk assessment are the main ones, alongside Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992. The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and CDM 2015 apply to all construction work.
Does a RAMS need to be site-specific?
Yes — this is the most common reason documents get sent back. Principal contractors reject generic copy-paste RAMS. Your document should name the site, access arrangements, dates, supervisor and any site-specific hazards. The RamsDocs builder fills these in for you and flags what's missing before you download.
Is this template free?
Yes — everything on RamsDocs is free during early access, including building a site-specific version of this RAMS and downloading the PDF. No card required.