Asbestos alert

Dental practice owners and tenants need to be aware of the duties imposed on them relating to any work done to, and the management of, asbestos in their dental practices as failure to comply can have serious consequences.

The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (CAR 2012) become law April 6, 2012. The CAR 2012 consolidated and extended the existing duties set out in the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006 (CAR) relating to work done involving asbestos.

Previously, work to properties which contain asbestos required the employer of the person doing the work to ensure that they have a suitable licence for the work where such work is categorised as high risk - generally work involving exposure to asbestos which is not sporadic or of low intensity, and which exceeds given controls (broadly the concentration of asbestos at 0.1 fibres per cubic metre in air averaged over four hours).

Usually where major work is proposed, asbestos specialist contractors are used who hold the appropriate licences to ensure that the relevant requirements are met.