As many as 1.5 million buildings in the UK contain asbestos, and because the material poses a potential risk to human health, effective management is essential to prevent people from being exposed.
An Asbestos Management Plan (AMP) is an essential document that explains how asbestos will be managed on your premises after an asbestos survey and asbestos risk assessments for all ACM’s have been completed, whether it is visually identified or simply presumed to exist. In this article, we will explain what information should be in the AMP, so you can ensure your document meets the necessary requirements and protects occupants of your buildings from harm.
Do I Need An Asbestos Management Plan?
If you are the owner of a commercial property, the landlord or agent of a rented property (constructed prior to 2000) or are responsible for the maintenance of communal parts of a residential property, you have a legal obligation to manage asbestos in the building.
Managing asbestos is a requirement under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012; failure to comply could result in prosecution by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). An Asbestos Management Plan is a key element of the management of Asbestos Containing Materials (ACMs).
What Is Required In An AMP?
An Asbestos Management Plan is a live document which is regularly updated with information from a range of sources, including asbestos surveys, sampling visits, inspections, and damage reports. It determines whether any actions should be taken to address the presence of asbestos in a building and the likely risks it’ll pose to occupants.
An AMP should include the following information:
- The Duty Holder responsible for managing asbestos, who should be suitably trained for the role.
- Alternative arrangements if the Duty Holder is not contactable.
- A copy of the asbestos register or, if it’s held electronically, access details.
- Procedures to ensure that no work on the building commences if the asbestos register is not checked, such as: arrangement for accessing the register before work starts; checks to ensure the asbestos register is understood; and checks to ensure that the correct asbestos controls are implemented by a suitably trained contractor.
- An outline of any planned work arising from the risk assessment, such as repairs or the removal of ACMs.
- The schedule for monitoring the condition of ACMs.
- How the Asbestos Management Plan will be communicated.
While AMPs are unique to the site, the basic information in each plan will be broadly similar. The plan must be easy to understand, to prevent confusion or misunderstandings.
Contact Us For Professional Asbestos Risk Management
OMC are experts in asbestos management solutions and can help you to comply with Asbestos Management Plan to safeguard occupants of your building against the dangers to their health.
To find out more about your responsibilities, please download ‘The Asbestos Management Blueprint Guide’ or please get in touch with our expert team.
Image Source: Pexels