8. Provide information to anyone who might disturb asbestos
You must tell the following people about your asbestos management plan:
- site or building managers
- employees
- contractors
- maintenance workers
Share your plan with site or building managers
You should ensure your asbestos management plan is available at the specific site it relates to.
Those with the responsibility must share the plan with anyone working in the premises.
As a dutyholder or the person assigned responsibility, you should:
- tell workers what the management plan arrangements are
- provide the emergency services with information on the location and condition of any known asbestos-containing materials (ACMs)
- provide the management plan to worker representatives and trade union safety representatives
Tell workers about your asbestos management plan
You must tell workers before they start work on the fabric of your building about your asbestos management plan. This is to prevent them disturbing ACMs without the correct controls in place.
You must include both your employees and any contractors who come to your premises, for example when doing:
- construction – builders, roofers, painters and decorators, joiners, plasterers, shop fitters
- installation – plumbers, gas fitters, electricians, phone, alarm and heating and ventilation engineers
- maintenance – engineers, repairers
- excavation and demolition – contractors, surveyors
What the information should include
The information provided should include:
- where the asbestos is located and its condition – in the asbestos register and site plan
- arrangements for safe working, for example through permits-to-work or incident procedures – in the asbestos management plan
- arrangements for site liaison during the work, for example through site handover and hand-back, or reporting any issues
The point at which you provide asbestos information will depend on the work. However, for planned work this should be as early as possible, for example when you ask for a quote for the job. You may require additional intrusive refurbishment or demolition surveys to be completed.
Other people you need to share your plan with
Some people, such as teachers, are unlikely to disturb asbestos but work in a building that contains it. You must inform them:
- about the specific locations of ACMs in the rooms or areas they use
- not to disturb them and what to do in the event of accidental damage
Find out more
HSE has a worker’s guide to asbestos safety. It explains what workers and their employers should do to avoid disturbing asbestos.
HSE’s example asbestos management plan contains advice about a communications plan. It will give you an idea of the sort of information that needs to be shared.