CONTROL OF ASBESTOS REGULATIONS 2006
These Regulations withdraw and substitute the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 2002 and invalidate and re-enact, with modifications, the Asbestos (Licensing) Regulations 1983 as amended and the Asbestos (Prohibitions) Regulations 1992 as amended. Control of Asbestos Regulations:
- oblige employers to prevent contact of employees to asbestos. If this is not realistic the law says their exposure should be controlled to the lowest potential level. Before any work with asbestos is carried out, the Regulations require employers to make an evaluation of the likely contact of employees to asbestos dust. If company is employing a contractor to work on their premises they need to make sure that either the work will not lead to asbestos exposures or that the contractor has carried out this assessment and identified work practices to reduces contact with asbestos.
- prohibit the import of asbestos into the UK, supply and new use within of all products contain asbestos. They also forbid the secondhand use of asbestos building materials which are not part of an existing building being taken down and put up again within the same premises.
- specify that work on asbestos insulation and AIB should normally be carried out by a licensed contractor. There is an exception from this if the work is short period, and where the risk assessment shows that the work will only make irregular and little intensity exposure and tit will not exceed control limit.
THE HEALTH AND SAFETY AT WORK ACT 1974
Requires employer to protect the health and safety of people who might be affected by your undertaking, whether they work for you or not. That’s why in situation like potential asbestos exposure, we are responsible for employees as well as other people helping in the club. It also requires assessing risks to the health and safety of employees and others who works on their premises, to in order to protect them. Employers have to make suitable arrangements to protect their employees from harm and potential risks. They should also appoint a competent person to support them unless they have enough knowledge themselves. The Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996 (as amended) require that warning signs have to be placed if there are no other appropriate preventive or protective measures.
RIDDOR
RIDDOR is the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995. Reporting accidents and ill health at work is a lawful obligation. The information allows the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and local authorities, to identify where and how risks arise, and to investigate serious accidents. Therefore in my opinion you should report RIDDOR to local authorities as exposure to asbestos is considered a dangerous occurrence under the definition of "an escape of substances that may cause harm", even if though it does not actually cause death.
RISK ASSESMENT
To ensure healthy, safe and secure environment managers should be able to identify potential hazards – like asbestos exposure - or risks and take action to reduce them. According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), a risk assessment is a "careful examination of what in your work could cause harm to people, so that you can weigh up whether you have taken enough precautions or should do more to prevent harm".
Employees should carry out a risk assessment check daily. All employees and people involved in helping in club i.e. volunteers should be aware of the possible risks concerning the risks, they should know what to look for and how to prevent and report it.
EMPLOYERS LIABILITY
Duty holder is person or organization responsible for maintenance or repair of premises or equipment, Bolton Wanderers club is a duty holder. This duty only applies to all non domestic premises and common part of domestic services.
Bolton Club is responsible for their employees and according to section 4 Health and Safety at Work Act Bolton Club is also responsible for volunteers as they ‘use non-domestic premises made available to them as a place of work or as a place where they may use plant or substances provided for their use there’ (Section 4, Health and Safety Act).
Before arranging for any work to be done to asbestos we should start by writing an 'asbestos management plan'. This should include information
- who is accountable for managing asbestos;
-
the asbestos register (it contains the present asbestos incidents within meeting house of Bolton football club buildings, which have been surveyed)
- plans for work on asbestos materials;
- the schedule for monitoring the materials' condition;
- telling people about our decisions.
Before doing any work asbestos materials we have to apply full safety precautions for the work and follow the HSE task sheet guidance as we have to consider all hazards when carrying out any work:
- working on fragile roofs
- working at height
- electrical hazards
- manual handing
- slips and trips
‘SAFE’ ASBESTOS PROCEDURE
Some damaged asbestos can be made safe by repairing it and either sealing or
enclosing it to prevent further damage. If this can be done safely, mark the area
after it has been repaired and make sure it is on your list of asbestos locations and following steps should be taken:
- Policy and procedure on asbestos should be written.
- Asbestos should be included as a highlighted hazard tick box on the general risk assessment
- Management team should attend asbestos management course.
- Make changes in the employee's safety handbook and include 'asbestos'
- Develop a toolbox talk that covered basic asbestos awareness and which was supplemented with additional sessions to cover known site specific risks.
POOR CONDITION ASBESTOS PROCEDURE
If asbestos is in poor condition it might have dangerous impact on people’ health.
If indeed volunteers and employees from Bolton football club have been exposed to asbestos then as well as RIDDOR notification you will have to formally issue a letter to the employee accepting their exposure whilst undertaking activities in your employment, with specific details of type of material, length of exposure etc.
Unfortunately in the case of exposure to asbestos there is no immediate treatment available. However, people affected should be referred to an occupational health specialist and a record of the incident should be added to the person’s employment records. The employer should also keep a record of the incident and maintain this
for 40 years. The asbestos management plan for the premises should also be reviewed by the duty holders and any remedial action/removal should be undertaken.
The asbestos register and location drawings should be updated accordingly.
After creating asbestos management plan in place, we need to tell people about our findings and decisions, train our maintenance workers to ask about asbestos for every job and make sure everyone knows how to report problems so you can remedy defects. In the future I advise you to warn every one who is going to work on the fabric of our building (builders, roofers, painters, plasterers etc.)
For each employee who is exposed to asbestos, employers have to:
- keep the record for at least 40 years;
- ensure the workers are under enough medical observation by a doctor;
- provide a medical examination not more than two years before such contact and one at least every two years while such exposure continues (certificates of examination need to be kept for four years)
- Tell the employee if the medical shows any disease effect from the exposure.
COMMUNICATION
Bolton club is responsible for notifying club community and general public.
When there is a building closure, employees and volunteers have to be notified via phone or e-mail and we have to publish a notice with dates, times and the reason for closure, including the name and telephone number of manager. Then the information will be sent to all possible affected organizations with specific instructions to publish. Copies will also be provided to: Public Safety, Risk Management, Environmental Health and Safety and the building manager (as applicable).
CONCLUSION
Health and safety is one of the most important aspects in managing Human Resources. It makes sure that everything is in the right order, policies and procedures are followed so employees and volunteers are working in the safe environment, and any risk – like being exposed to asbestos – is reduced to minimum. No one wants to work in dangerous environment, employer don’t want to loose good reputation or high staff morale. Therefore we should follow Health and Safety policies as well as Human Resources procedures at all times.
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Banfield, P., Kay, R. (2008) Introduction to Human Resource Management. 1st Ed Oxford University Press
Foot, M., Hook, C., (2005) Introducing human resource management. 4th Ed. FT/ Prentice Hall
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