How to choose the right asbestos awareness course for your employees

If you are an employer who works in any area where there is a chance your employees could encounter asbestos or Asbestos Containing Materials (ACMs), then you most likely have a responsibility to ensure that they are trained in Asbestos Awareness.

The governing legislation on the area of asbestos training is very clear, and can be found in the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (CAR 2012). These regulations are interpreted in relation to training on the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) website as being:

‘Workers and supervisors must be able to recognise Asbestos Containing Materials (ACMs) and know what to do if they come across them in order to protect themselves and others.’

As an employer (and, indeed, a self-employed contractor), it is your duty to make reasonable efforts to ensure the safety of your employees and others who may be affected by their actions.  For many workers, this will mean taking a short Asbestos Awareness course online.

The purpose of an awareness course is pretty much what it say on the tin, because it relates to the requirements of CAR 2012, which states that if your employees are likely to come into contact with AMCs or asbestos, every employer:

‘… must ensure that any employee employed by that employer is given adequate information, instruction and training…’

Asbestos Awareness is about knowing the risk from asbestos, recognising where it may be present, and reacting accordingly when it is encountered. Essentially, awareness is about avoidance, and the simplest way to deliver the information is via a certified course such as the one we provide.

When we constructed this course, we specifically created the content to meet the needs of your employees as well as the national standard required by CAR 2012, and, bearing mind the importance of asbestos safety, this meant ensuring that our course meets the needs of a wide range of workers.

• The course utilises the recommendations of the HSE for awareness training content
• Where possible, the needs of people with varying levels of English have been taken into account in the style and content of the course
• We avoid unnecessary complex technical discussion and focus on real world examples
• We use a mixture of scenario, picture and multiple-choice questions to make sure that every learner has the chance to succeed
• We know people are busy, so the course can take as little as one hour and requires no attendance at teaching sessions
• Results are fully certified by the Independent Asbestos Training Providers (IATP)
• The cost of online training is minimal, and the flexibility of learning means it provides a high return on your investment

If you work in an area that could be considered at risk from asbestos exposure, then our Asbestos Awareness course will be perfect for meeting the needs of your employees.