September 25th, 2007

One of the leading asbestos consulting firms in the UK, Thames Laboratories, has reiterated the importance of asbestos training to employers in the UK, and this has also been reflected in the changes made to the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006.

According to officials from Thames Laboratories asbestos awareness training is now a legal requirement in certain situations. The regulations make it clear that specific groups must receive asbestos awareness training, and there is also a clause that means that in some cases employers will have to ensure that training is issued to visiting contractors.

One Thames official stated: "Asbestos Awareness Training is vital for employers, property owners, facilities managers and all those responsible for health and safety within their organisation. Recent prosecutions and publicity from the government indicates that training is a crucial part of complying with the new regulations. Employers in at-risk environments ignore health and safety training at their peril."

Thames Laboratories offers asbestos awareness training in conjunction with the Royal Society for Promotion of Health, and those completing the course will receive an asbestos awareness training certificate.