19 May Bridging the Gap in Asbestos Removal
Bridging the Gap in Asbestos Removal
RS Asbestos takes part in groundbreaking Asbestos Workshop
Recently, we participated in a four-stage clearance workshop organised by FAAM and led by Nick Garland of Assure 360. The workshop was a unique attempt to bring together two sides of the industry that have traditionally been at odds with each other: licensed asbestos removal contractors (LARCs) and analysts. The 4SC (four-stage clearance) is a critical part of the removal process, and improving the process is one of the biggest challenges the industry faces.
The workshop aimed to bridge the gap between these two sides of the industry and improve communication and understanding between them. Experienced supervisors and analysts were paired up and worked together through the preliminary stage one inspection and the second stage of the process, where they had to identify issues hidden in mock enclosures.
We sent John Malloy, one of our talented supervisors at RS Asbestos, to attend the workshop, and he joined other industry experts who gave their time to make the event a success. The workshop was held at Airborne Environmental Consultants (AEC) in Manchester, where they have full-scale mock enclosures set up. The attendees were able to learn from each other’s strengths and benefit from the insight into each other’s points of view.
One significant moment that came out of the workshop was the discussion about the personal liability of supervisors. The LARC’s duty to ensure that the enclosure is 100% clean has always been known, but now the supervisor’s name is attached to this liability, making them more directly responsible. This personal liability should reposition analysts as the supervisor’s best friend, as they are the final backstop before the enclosure is handed back.
The workshop also brought to light a critical competence issue. Although it has always been the LARC’s responsibility to ensure that an enclosure is free from asbestos when handed back, supervisors have never been given formal training in this as part of their initial or refresher training. This is something that has been assumed to be included, and if this assumption runs all the way up to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), it will lead to this critical competence issue being overlooked at licence assessment.
Overall, the workshop was a success and highlighted the need for joint training in this key competency. The findings from the workshop will help to inform future analyst and supervisor training and will help increase efficiency on-site and keep managers connected to everything that’s happening. We were thrilled to participate in this workshop and feel more empowered than ever to work together to find innovative ways to better our industry and improve health and safety regulations.
Read the full report from Nick Garland of Assure 360
Bridging the Gap in Asbestos Removal
RS Asbestos takes part in groundbreaking Asbestos Workshop
Recently, we participated in a four-stage clearance workshop organised by FAAM and led by Nick Garland of Assure 360. The workshop was a unique attempt to bring together two sides of the industry that have traditionally been at odds with each other: licensed asbestos removal contractors (LARCs) and analysts. The 4SC (four-stage clearance) is a critical part of the removal process, and improving the process is one of the biggest challenges the industry faces.
The workshop aimed to bridge the gap between these two sides of the industry and improve communication and understanding between them. Experienced supervisors and analysts were paired up and worked together through the preliminary stage one inspection and the second stage of the process, where they had to identify issues hidden in mock enclosures.
We sent John Malloy, one of our talented supervisors at RS Asbestos, to attend the workshop, and he joined other industry experts who gave their time to make the event a success. The workshop was held at Airborne Environmental Consultants (AEC) in Manchester, where they have full-scale mock enclosures set up. The attendees were able to learn from each other’s strengths and benefit from the insight into each other’s points of view.
One significant moment that came out of the workshop was the discussion about the personal liability of supervisors. The LARC’s duty to ensure that the enclosure is 100% clean has always been known, but now the supervisor’s name is attached to this liability, making them more directly responsible. This personal liability should reposition analysts as the supervisor’s best friend, as they are the final backstop before the enclosure is handed back.
The workshop also brought to light a critical competence issue. Although it has always been the LARC’s responsibility to ensure that an enclosure is free from asbestos when handed back, supervisors have never been given formal training in this as part of their initial or refresher training. This is something that has been assumed to be included, and if this assumption runs all the way up to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), it will lead to this critical competence issue being overlooked at licence assessment.
Overall, the workshop was a success and highlighted the need for joint training in this key competency. The findings from the workshop will help to inform future analyst and supervisor training and will help increase efficiency on-site and keep managers connected to everything that’s happening. We were thrilled to participate in this workshop and feel more empowered than ever to work together to find innovative ways to better our industry and improve health and safety regulations.
Read the full report from Nick Garland of Assure 360
