I need some urgent employment advice

richard978

Just under a year ago I received some asbestos awareness training as part of my job. Tagged to the end of the course was a very brief course on how to work and remove unlicensed asbestos containing material. The course had no practical lesson and was pure theory and to be honest I was as clueless at the end of the course as I was at the beginning on the safe way of handling it. The only thing I learnt was to stay well clear of the stuff. At the end of the course as an assessment which we were given the answers to.

A month later I received a UKAS certificate telling me that I'm qualified to remove unlicensed asbestos.

I'm a fully qualified heating engineer / plumber and have no wish to work with asbestos or being involved with its removal. So I felt very annoyed that they had managed to trick me into sitting down and doing this course.

10 months on and today I received a call from my boss to attend the office to have a p3 mask fitted and instructing me that i must be clean shaven ( I have a beard). I'm well miffed and I'm considering telling them to stuff their mask where the sun don't shine.

I do not want to get involved with asbestos and I want to know what right I have to refuse. What will happen if I turn up to work tomorrow with my beard.

:mad:

Takeaway_Addict

how long have you worked for them?

richard978

Takeaway_Addict wrote: »

how long have you worked for them?

5 years in total, I have a full time perm contract. Nothing in my contract about asbestos work.

richard978

Any Advice??????

dandelionclock30

How can you be clueless regarding removing the asbestos if they have told you how to do it? Why do you need a practical run through when its all been explained to you.
Its not that hard, they will have told you what to wear,how to wash it down etc. What exactly are you struggling with?
You can tell your boss that you dont feel competant to remove it because the course wasnt very thorough etc. Ask if they can put you on some better training.
Also if you dont understand something you need to say at the time, otherwize it could be dangerous to yourself and others with things like this.

Teresa_Green

richard978 wrote: »

Any Advice??????

If you are not in a Union, you could try phoning ACAS?

Just because you get fitted for the mask tomorrow doesn't mean you will be sent out straight away on an Asbestos job, does it?

Main points to raise, informally and in writing to your Boss asap (keep a copy) would be around raising your specific concerns and perhaps request a risk assessment?

Sorry I don't know anything specifically about Asbestos removal but assume you would need to be properly trained.

HSE may be able to advise you more on that?

If all else fails you would need to look for another job if you're still not happy.

richard978

dandelionclock30 wrote: »

How can you be clueless regarding removing the asbestos if they have told you how to do it? Why do you need a practical run through when its all been explained to you.
Its not that hard, they will have told you what to wear,how to wash it down etc. What exactly are you struggling with?
You can tell your boss that you dont feel competant to remove it because the course wasnt very thorough etc. Ask if they can put you on some better training.
Also if you dont understand something you need to say at the time, otherwize it could be dangerous to yourself and others with things like this.

It's not as easy as you think.

Creation of a triple air lock....no instruction given
How to determine whether its licensed and unlicensed?
How to remove artex without creating dust?

Not to mention i don't want to do it, I didn't train to be a plumber to have to clean up that stuff.

richard978

Teresa_Green wrote: »

If you are not in a Union, you could try phoning ACAS?

Just because you get fitted for the mask tomorrow doesn't mean you will be sent out straight away on an Asbestos job, does it?

Main points to raise, informally and in writing to your Boss asap (keep a copy) would be around raising your specific concerns and perhaps request a risk assessment?

Sorry I don't know anything specifically about Asbestos removal but assume you would need to be properly trained.

HSE may be able to advise you more on that?

If all else fails you would need to look for another job if you're still not happy.

What would happen i refuse to shave off my beard? Surely i have a right to own a beard.

Teresa_Green

richard978 wrote: »

What would happen i refuse to shave off my beard? Surely i have a right to own a beard.

Without knowing your Boss, difficult to say !!

How big is your company? Do they have any Policies or Procedures about this kind of stuff?

I was suggesting going along with it for now to buy yourself some time, to find out more about where you stand.

Depends what your Employer is like and how much you value your job, as to how much you are prepared to push it really?

FBaby

It remains that it was your responsibility to inform your boss that you didn't feel the training was appropriate for you needs and needed something more practical. it doesn't look good for yourself that you just kept quiet about it.

Teresa_Green

Sounds like your Boss is trying to meet his legal obligations:

From the HSE Website:

Asbestos training

The use of all asbestos containing materials was not banned until 1999. This means any building built or refurbished before the year 2000 could contain asbestos.
Any worker liable to disturb asbestos while performing their normal everyday work is required to be trained. Every employer must ensure that adequate information, instruction and training is given to those employees who are liable to be exposed to asbestos during the course of their work.
What type of training is necessary?


All workers who are liable to disturb asbestos during their normal work should be trained so that they can recognise asbestos containing materials and know what to do if they come across them. The training needs to be appropriate for the work and the roles undertaken by individuals. There are three types of asbestos training:

• Awareness training
• Training for work with asbestos that does not require a licence from HSE
• Training for asbestos work that does require a licence from HSE.

Awareness training

This training is for those persons who are liable to disturb asbestos while carrying out their normal everyday work, or who may influence how work is carried out, such as:
General maintenance workers
Electricians
Plumbers
JoinersPainters and decorators
Plasterers
Construction workers
Roofers
Shop fittersGas fitters
Heating and ventilation engineersDemolition workersTelecommunication engineers
Fire/burglar alarm installers
Computer installersArchitects
Building surveyors
etcPlease note: There are other occupations who are liable to disturb asbestos in addition to those listed in the above table.


You will need awareness training so you know how to avoid the risks and how to protect yourself. Asbestos awareness training should include the following topics:

• The properties of asbestos and its effects on health, including the increased risk of developing lung cancer for asbestos workers who smoke
• The types, uses and likely occurrence of asbestos and asbestos materials in buildings and plant
• The general procedures to deal with an emergency, e.g. an uncontrolled release of asbestos dust into the workplace
• How to avoid the risk of exposure to asbestos.

Important - Awareness training is not enough if you plan to carry out any work with asbestos containing materials.
Online learning (often referred to as e–learning) is increasingly used as a method of providing asbestos awareness training. HSE recognises the use of e-learning as a viable delivery method, among others, for the delivery of information, instruction and training in relation to asbestos awareness training, provided the course content satisfies the objectives as stipulated in Regulation 10 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 and the supporting Approved Code of Practice.
Training for asbestos work that does not require a licence (‘non-licensable' asbestos work)


This training is for those workers who plan to carry out any work with asbestos that does not require a licence and who may knowingly disturb lower risk asbestos containing materials. It should be provided in addition to asbestos awareness training and should be job specific. Typically, workers who may need this training include those listed under asbestos awareness training and who carry out such tasks as:

• Drilling holes in asbestos materials (including for sampling and analysis purposes)
• Laying cables in areas containing undamaged asbestos materials
• Removing asbestos containing floor tiles
• Cleaning or repairing asbestos cement sheet roofing or cladding.

Topics covered by this type of training include:

• How to make suitable and sufficient assessments about the risk of exposure to asbestos
• Safe work practices and control measures, including an explanation on the correct use of control measures, protective equipment and work methods
• Selection and appropriate use of protective equipment
• Waste handling procedures
• Emergency procedures
• Relevant legal requirements.

Important – This form of training on its own is not sufficient for carrying out licensed work.
Training for asbestos work that does require a licence (‘licensed asbestos work')

Most work with higher risk asbestos containing materials must be carried out by licensed contractors. Only suitably trained workers, using appropriate respiratory protective equipment and who are under suitable medical surveillance can undertake licensed asbestos work. This type of training is therefore required for Operatives, Supervisors and Managers working for a licensed contractor.
Refresher training


Refresher training should not be a repeat of the initial training. It should be given at least once a year and be appropriate to the workers' familiarity with the work. Therefore, depending on the individual training need it could be a structured update training session or a short toolbox talk refreshing experienced workers of the main principles/ expectations. The training should be tailored to meet the training needs:

• work methods change
• the type of equipment used to control exposure changes or
• the type of work being carried out changes significantly.

What are my responsibilities as an employer?


As an employer you must ensure that:

• your employees have the training, knowledge, experience and ability to carry out the work without risk to themselves or others
• supervisors and managers are also trained and aware of their responsibilities
• the training provider is competent and aware of the tasks that are likely to be carried out by employees.

Self employed workers should ensure that they are properly trained to protect themselves and ensure that others are not put at risk from their work activities.
Important - Competent training providers should have adequate practical experience in the asbestos sector and a theoretical knowledge of all relevant aspects of the work being carried out by the employer. It is the responsibility of the employer to determine whether a training provider is suitable or not.
How do I ensure that the training provider is competent?


HSE is working with training providers and trade associations to promote and improve competency within this sector. HSE is not responsible for and cannot guarantee the accuracy of information on sites that it does not manage: inclusion on this page does not mean that HSE endorses the partner organisations, their websites and the products or services offered.

• British Occupational Hygiene Society [1]
• Independent Asbestos Training Providers [2]
• United Kingdom Asbestos Training Association [3]
• Asbestos Safety Health Environment E-Learning Association [4]

Please note that other organisations also offer asbestos training.