What Is Asbestos Awareness Training and What Does It Cover?

When You Book Multiple Courses.

Asbestos awareness training is a short course that teaches workers what asbestos is, where it is likely to be found in buildings, the harm it causes and how to avoid disturbing it. Under regulation 10 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, employers must provide it to anyone who could be exposed to asbestos during their work, and to the people who supervise them. It does not qualify anyone to work on asbestos: it teaches you to recognise it, stop and get help.

If you need a course for yourself or your team, Target Zero runs asbestos awareness training in classrooms and online across the UK. This guide explains what the training covers, who needs it and how often to refresh it.

Why asbestos is still a risk

Asbestos was used widely in buildings and machinery until it was banned in 1999. HSE warns that workers are at risk particularly if they work on buildings that date from before 2000, and around 5,000 people still die every year from asbestos-related diseases. In 2024 alone, 2,146 people in Great Britain died from mesothelioma caused by past exposure.

When asbestos is in good condition and not disturbed, the risk of exposure is extremely low. The danger comes when it is disturbed and fibres are released and breathed in. The diseases it causes include mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestosis and diffuse pleural thickening. They typically take decades to develop and cannot be cured, so prevention is the only real protection.

What the law says: CAR 2012 regulation 10

Regulation 10 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 requires every employer to make sure that employees who are, or are liable to be, exposed to asbestos, and those who supervise them, receive adequate information, instruction and training. The regulation also says that training must:

be given at regular intervals
be adapted to take account of significant changes in the type of work or the methods used
suit the nature and degree of exposure identified by the risk assessment

HSE adds two points that matter for contractors. Self-employed workers must also have the right level of training to protect themselves and others, and it is the employer’s responsibility to decide whether a training provider is suitable.

Who needs asbestos awareness training?

Anyone who is liable to disturb asbestos during their normal work, or who supervises those workers. HSE gives these examples:

general maintenance workers and construction workers
electricians, plumbers, gas fitters and heating and ventilation engineers
joiners, plasterers, painters and decorators
roofers, shop fitters and demolition workers
telecommunication engineers, fire and burglar alarm installers, and computer and data installers
architects and building surveyors

HSE says tradespeople and maintenance workers are considered most at risk of exposure, and its list is not exhaustive. If a job involves working on the fabric of a building put up before 2000, treat awareness training as essential.

What does asbestos awareness training cover?

Regulation 10 sets out the topics training must make people aware of, and HSE describes what the awareness level should include. A good course covers:

the properties of asbestos and its effects on health, including its interaction with smoking
the types of asbestos and the products and materials likely to contain it
where asbestos-containing materials are typically found in buildings and plant
how to avoid the risk of exposure and work safely around asbestos
emergency procedures if asbestos is accidentally disturbed
the legal duties that protect you and the people around you

Awareness training will not prepare anyone to carry out work with asbestos-containing materials. HSE is clear that if a task will disturb asbestos, further information, instruction and training will be needed.

Category A, Category B and licensed work: what is the difference?

HSE describes three levels of asbestos training. The training industry, including UKATA, refers to awareness training as Category A and non-licensable work training as Category B.

Level	Who it is for	What it covers
Category A: asbestos awareness	Anyone whose work could disturb asbestos, and their supervisors	Recognising asbestos and avoiding work that could disturb it. It does not allow any work on asbestos.
Category B: non-licensable work, including notifiable non-licensed work (NNLW)	Workers whose tasks will disturb asbestos-containing materials, for example drilling holes or removing floor tiles	Carrying out lower-risk tasks on asbestos-containing materials with the right controls
Licensable work	Higher-risk work that must generally be done by licensed contractors	Removal and other high-risk work. HSE says awareness training is not sufficient for this work.

Awareness training is the starting point. UKATA notes that it is likely to form the first part of training for anyone who goes on to work with asbestos, but on its own it does not meet the legal requirements for that work.

How often should asbestos awareness training be refreshed?

This is where most of the confusion sits. HSE says there is no legal requirement to repeat an entire formal awareness course every 12 months, but some form of refresher should be given, as necessary, so knowledge is maintained. That refresher can be e-learning or part of wider health and safety updates.

Industry practice is stricter. UKATA’s awareness syllabus states that certification is valid for one year and recommends annual refresher training, and the Target Zero asbestos awareness certificate is valid for 12 months with an annual refresher recommended. A yearly refresher is the simplest way to show that training is being given at the regular intervals regulation 10 requires.

For workers trained in non-licensable or licensable work, HSE says refresher training should be provided every year, or more often if work methods, equipment or the type of work change.

Asbestos awareness with Target Zero

Target Zero Training runs an asbestos awareness course for construction and maintenance teams across the UK, aligned with the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012. At a glance:

Duration: 1 day in the classroom, or around 2 hours online
Delivery: face-to-face sessions nationwide or interactive online learning
Assessment: a short multiple-choice test
Certificate: issued digitally and valid for 12 months, with an annual refresher recommended
Tutors: experienced health and safety instructors

Supervisors carry duties under regulation 10 too, and asbestos is part of the wider site safety picture covered on the SSSTS course for supervisors and the SMSTS course for site managers. If you are new to construction and want to see where asbestos fits among the other courses, read why construction workers need health and safety training.

FAQs

Is asbestos awareness training a legal requirement?

Yes, for anyone liable to be exposed. Regulation 10 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 requires employers to provide adequate information, instruction and training to employees who are, or are liable to be, exposed to asbestos, and to those who supervise them.

Who is legally required to receive asbestos awareness training?

Employees whose normal work could disturb asbestos, such as electricians, plumbers, joiners, decorators, roofers and maintenance staff, plus anyone who supervises them. Self-employed tradespeople also need the right level of training to protect themselves and others.

How often is asbestos awareness training required?

There is no legal requirement to repeat the full course every 12 months, but HSE expects some refresher training as necessary. UKATA recommends an annual refresher.

How long does an asbestos awareness certificate last?

It depends on the course. UKATA awareness certification is valid for one year, and the Target Zero asbestos awareness certificate is valid for 12 months.

Can asbestos awareness training be done online?

Yes. HSE accepts e-learning as a viable way to deliver awareness training, as long as it meets regulation 10 and the Approved Code of Practice L143. Target Zero runs the course online in around 2 hours, or in a classroom over one day.

Does asbestos awareness training let me remove asbestos?

No. Awareness training teaches you to recognise asbestos and avoid disturbing it. Work on asbestos-containing materials needs non-licensable work training, and higher-risk work must generally be done by a licensed contractor.

If your team works on buildings put up before 2000, asbestos awareness is the first line of defence. Book asbestos awareness training with Target Zero Training, backed by more than 10,000 verified reviews on Reviews.io and a 4.9 rating on Trustpilot, or call 0333 444 0018 to arrange dates for your team.