Last Updated on February 20, 2023 by admin
In a construction project, workers are exposes to toxic material such as asbestos. The purpose of asbestos awareness training is to inform employees about safe procedures they must adopt while handling asbestos so that the dangerous material does not pose health hazards. This article contains information about importance of asbestos awareness training.
1. Mandatory Requirement for Some Industries
Asbestos awareness training is an important part of some industries which particularly deal in handling asbestos type, in any form. Certain sectors, such as construction and carpentry, are more likely to contain the substance. Therefore, people working in such setup require asbestos training more than people working in other sectors because they are not exposed to asbestos directly.
2. Health Protection and hazard prevention
It is the duty of any organization, to make sure that the employees are not at risk of any health hazard. The objective of any health and safety training is to protect employees and prevent accidents. This includes awareness training for asbestos too because it allows teach members learn about toxic substance identification. Therefore, workers can remain protected against potential health hazards caused by asbestos handling.
3. The current health hazards
Despite asbestos has been declared illegal in many parts of the world, it can still be seen here and there. People suffer from the consequences even due o minor exposure. It is estimated that everyday death rate due to asbestos exposure is 13 people. This is more than the number of people killed every year due to road accidents.
4. What Does Asbestos Awareness Training Cover?
Asbestos awareness course covers a wide range of scenarios, regulations and visual cues to identify asbestos. It helps you identify different types of asbestos and ACMs (asbestos containing materials), and also inform about safe practices upon accidental discovery of asbestos. This training aims at discouraging handling or disturbing asbestos material, because undisturbed asbestos is not as much dangerous as disturbed material. If there is inevitable need to handle asbestos, then the handlers are encouraged to wear the appropriate safety equipment. Awareness training also promotes an organization-wide policy to address the health hazards of the material. How to carry out asbestos risk-assessment is also identified in this training, so as to avoid the dangers of asbestos.
5. Obsolete methods and updated trainings
In various industries it is important to get asbestos awareness training because the previous methods of achieving these goals often become obsolete due to changed technologies. Due to old and ineffective methods, asbestos awareness training has to remain updated. Moreover, the change in workplaces also calls for the need of upgraded and up-to-date training.
6. Legal Compliance
Training courses cover all the basic steps required for legal compliance. Measures prescribed under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (CAR12) are also part of this training, therefore, ensuring protection and safety.
7. Responsibility towards environment and fellow human beings
As human beings, it is the responsibility of other fellow beings to be cautious with toxic material. Those manage the substance in a building are known as ‘duty holders’ in the legislation. Anyone who has, by virtue of a contract or tenancy, an obligation… to the maintenance or repair of non-domestic premises, is known as duty-holder. Non-domestic premises are commercial buildings which are not used for residential means.
8. Employers’ responsibility and workplace safety
Asbestos awareness training is a part of responsibilities for employers to ensure that the project site is safe for workers. An organization must do a risk assessment before a training course which includes identification of areas of potential danger, and appropriate control measures. Being the critical part of asbestos training, this part cannot be compromised or looked over.
Final Words
Continuous health and safety monitoring is an organization’s obligation. Employers must make sure the premises of work are safe for people exposed to it. If someone’s health is getting worse, then employers need to have more than control measures because they are not effective enough. To do an in-depth analysis, get in touch with professional team at ACC ENV.
To protect yourself and your members of staff, you should consult our online asbestos training course. It is part of our health and safety range and will help to protect your workforce.
