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Occupational safety training

Asbestos awareness training

Help your team recognise situations where asbestos may be present, understand the risks and know when to stop and seek advice. Discuss training for your workplace with OHSS.

Enquire about trainingIndependent OHSS advice · Nationwide Ireland
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Practical awareness for your workplace

Asbestos awareness training helps people understand the risks of encountering asbestos at work and the importance of avoiding disturbance. It is relevant to teams who work in buildings and to those who plan or manage that work.

OHSS provides occupational hygiene, safety and asbestos consultancy and training, with nationwide Irish coverage. We use your team’s roles and working context as the starting point for discussing its training needs.

OHSS does not carry out asbestos removal. Our asbestos services provide independent advice, assessment and oversight of work undertaken by other contractors.

Coverage
Nationwide Ireland
Focus
Awareness & prevention

Who is asbestos awareness training for?

  • Maintenance teams and tradespeople, including electricians, plumbers and roofers, whose work may bring them into contact with asbestos-containing materials.
  • Construction and demolition teams who need to recognise potential asbestos risks before starting work.
  • Architects, quantity surveyors, building surveyors and those involved in planning or managing building work.

What does asbestos awareness training cover?

  • Where asbestos-containing materials may be encountered in buildings.
  • Health risks associated with exposure to asbestos fibres.
  • The purpose of asbestos surveys and how survey information helps inform work planning.
  • The role of risk assessment and the importance of site-specific information.
  • Recognising the limits of awareness training and seeking competent advice before work that could disturb asbestos.

What awareness training does not qualify you to do

Awareness training does not qualify someone to remove asbestos or carry out work that disturbs it. Work involving asbestos requires competence, appropriate task-specific training and controls. Awareness training also does not replace the asbestos information and instructions needed for a particular site.

Intended learning outcomes

  • Understand why suspected asbestos needs to be considered before starting work.
  • Recognise situations that require further information or competent advice.
  • Understand how survey information and site arrangements relate to your role.
  • Distinguish asbestos awareness from the competence needed for work on asbestos materials.

How it works

  1. Tell us about your team

    Share the work your team carries out, its location and the number of people who need training.

  2. Discuss the course arrangements

    We will discuss the learning needs, course scope and available delivery arrangements. Ask about dates, duration, fees and any training record requirements before booking.

  3. Confirm the details before booking

    Agree the course content and practical arrangements, including any specific requirements for your group.

Planning your training enquiry

Give us a starting point so we can discuss a course suited to your team.

  • Your organisation, project location and the work your team undertakes.
  • Approximate group size and participants' roles and previous training.
  • Whether you are enquiring about a public course or training for your organisation.
  • Preferred dates, delivery arrangements and any accessibility or language requirements to discuss.
Enquire about training »

Irish guidance

The Health & Safety Authority explains that an awareness course is not sufficient for asbestos removal work. Use its current guidance to discuss the training appropriate to the work your team undertakes.

Frequently asked questions

Does awareness training allow me to remove asbestos?

No. Awareness training is not sufficient for asbestos removal or other work that disturbs asbestos-containing materials. Tell OHSS about the work you intend to undertake so the training need can be discussed appropriately.

Can I enquire about training for our own team?

Yes. Contact OHSS with the approximate group size, participants' roles and location to discuss a course for your organisation and the delivery arrangements available.

Are public courses available?

Contact OHSS for current public course availability. Dates, places and booking arrangements must be confirmed before making plans to attend.

How long is the course and what does it cost?

Ask for the duration and fee for the course being offered. These should be confirmed alongside the course scope, group requirements and delivery arrangements before booking.

What if we need a certificate or training record?

Tell OHSS what record your organisation or client requires when you enquire. Confirm what documentation is included in the proposed course before booking.

Does training replace the need for a survey?

No. Training and an asbestos survey serve different purposes. Awareness training helps people understand risks; a survey investigates a building within an agreed scope. Your team still needs the relevant site information before work starts.

Discuss training for your team

Tell us what your team does, where you are based and approximately how many people need training. Ask about public courses or arrangements for your organisation.

Enquire about trainingOr call (01) 690 5907