The asbestos register and management plan explained

Summary of HSE guidance, not legal advice. Each point links to the HSE page it comes from.

Picture an electrician arriving to run new cable through a ceiling void. Nobody tells them there is asbestos insulating board above the tiles, so they cut straight into it. HSE says asbestos is responsible for over 5,000 deaths a year in Great Britain, and that symptoms can take 15 to 60 years to appear (HSE FAQ). The asbestos register and management plan exist so that conversation happens before the drill comes out, and so that you can show you did what the law asks.

Who needs a register and plan?

The duty to manage asbestos covers all non-domestic premises, such as shops, offices and factories, and the common parts of multi-occupancy domestic premises, such as purpose-built flats. The dutyholder must make, and keep up to date, a record or register of the location and condition of asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) or presumed ACMs, and write an asbestos management plan, put it into action, monitor it and review it every 12 months or sooner if necessary (HSE: the duty to manage asbestos). Landlords and managing agents should also read the duty to manage for landlords.

Part 1: the asbestos register

HSE says the information in the survey report should be used to form the asbestos register, which is a key part of your asbestos management plan. It is a live document which must always contain current information on the presence and condition of ACMs (HSE: make a register and assess the risk). Most dutyholders start with a management survey.

What the register must include

As a minimum, HSE says your register should include (HSE):

• all known and presumed ACMs in your buildings
• the type of ACM
• how much asbestos there is and its condition, including dates of the original and last inspection
• the potential of each ACM to release fibres (a material assessment) and the likelihood of disturbance (a priority assessment) during the day-to-day running of the building
• where asbestos is presumed to be located because the surveyor could not access areas; HSE says these locations should be kept to a minimum

HSE adds that it helps to record, for each ACM, photographs to confirm location and for condition monitoring, actions and due dates, evidence that actions were completed, and when the next condition check is due. The register can be on paper or electronic.

The risk assessment inside the register

HSE says you must include a risk assessment in the register to identify and prioritise ACMs needing remedial action. Consider the location, amount and condition of each ACM, whether it is easy to get at, whether people work near it in a way likely to disturb it, how many people use the area, and whether maintenance or refurbishment is likely there (HSE).

The management survey report will contain a material assessment for each ACM. The priority assessment covers how likely each ACM is to be disturbed by occupants, maintenance and cleaning. HSE says that even if your survey report includes a priority assessment, you still need to validate it, because only you know what happens in your building. HSE's guide HSG227, A comprehensive guide to managing asbestos in premises, provides scoring algorithms you can use (HSE HSG227).

Keeping it up to date

HSE says to update the register at least once a year as part of your asbestos management review, or before then if anything changes the risk (HSE). In practice that means:

• regular inspections of the current condition of ACMs, updating the risk assessment and actions if they have deteriorated
• recording when ACMs are removed or repaired
• adding entries when new areas are surveyed or sampled and asbestos is found
• changing the risk assessment and actions when the likelihood of disturbance changes, such as a change of room use or planned maintenance

Part 2: the asbestos management plan

HSE says an asbestos management plan sets out the procedures and arrangements to manage the risk from ACMs in your premises. It should include (HSE: write your asbestos management plan):

• who is responsible for managing asbestos, including deputies
• your asbestos register, including a site plan showing where ACMs are and areas not inspected
• the schedule for monitoring the condition of ACMs
• how you will share the register with workers or contractors doing maintenance work
• control arrangements to make sure ACMs are not disturbed
• emergency procedures if ACMs are disturbed

The plan should be site-specific, say who is responsible for each part, and be easy to read, update and find. It can be written or electronic.

Deciding what to do about each ACM

HSE says to give high priority to damaged ACMs and those likely to be disturbed, and to consider planned work on the building, such as service installations and net zero improvements. If ACMs are in good condition and unlikely to be worked on or disturbed, it is usually safer to leave them in place and manage them, with regular inspections. ACMs that are damaged must be repaired, protected, sealed or removed. Actions should be clear, time-based and reviewed (HSE).

When putting the plan into action, decide whether work needs an HSE-licensed contractor. HSE gives as examples any work on sprayed asbestos, most repair or any removal of asbestos insulation such as pipe lagging, and most work on asbestos insulating board (HSE: put your plan into action). See licensed vs non-licensed work.

When to review the plan

HSE says to review and update the plan whenever work takes place that affects ACMs, when staff with management responsibilities change, when ACMs have been disturbed by accident, and following scheduled condition checks (HSE), and in any case every 12 months (HSE).

Who you must share it with

HSE says you must tell site or building managers, employees, contractors and maintenance workers about your asbestos management plan, and tell workers before they start work on the fabric of your building. That includes builders, roofers, decorators, plumbers, gas fitters, electricians, alarm and heating engineers, and demolition contractors (HSE: provide information).

The information should include where the asbestos is and its condition (from the register and site plan), the arrangements for safe working, and how site liaison will work. For planned work, HSE says to share it as early as possible, for example when you ask for a quote. Emergency services should also be given the location and condition of known ACMs (HSE).

Free HSE templates

HSE publishes free templates you can download and adapt:

• Example asbestos register (PDF)
• Blank asbestos register (PDF) or in Word
• Example asbestos management plan (PDF)
• Blank asbestos management plan (PDF) or in Word

A template is only as good as the survey behind it. If you don't yet have a survey report, or it is out of date, the register has nothing reliable to record. Any area that hasn't been inspected has to be presumed to contain asbestos until it can be (HSE).

Questions

Request a management survey quote Management survey guide

Related guides: Duty to manage for landlords · Management surveys · Refurbishment surveys · Survey types · Licensed vs non-licensed work · Survey costs