The Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 1987

Assessment of work which exposes employees to asbestos

5.—(1) Subject to paragraph (3), an employer shall not carry out any work which exposes or is liable to expose any of his employees to asbestos unless he has made an adequate assessment of that exposure.

(2) Without prejudice to the generality of paragraph (1), that assessment shall—

(a) subject to regulation 4, identify the type of asbestos to which employees are liable to be exposed;

(b) determine the nature and degree of exposure which may occur in the course of the work; and

(c) set out the steps to be taken to prevent or reduce to the lowest level reasonably practicable that exposure.

(3) Where work which exposed or was liable to expose employees to asbestos had been commenced before the coming into force of these Regulations or within 28 days after that date, it shall be sufficient compliance with paragraph (1) if the employer makes the assessment required by that paragraph within 28 days after the date of coming into force of these Regulations.

(4) The assessment required by paragraph (1) shall be reviewed forthwith and a new assessment substituted when—

(a) there is reason to suspect that the existing assessment is no longer valid; or

(b) there is a significant change in the work to which the assessment relates.