Glossary of asbestos terms (G to N)
Asbestos terminology may be second nature to us, but we appreciate it may be unfamiliar to many people.
Last month we listed the most common words/terms and explained their meaning, starting with A to F. Here we continue our Glossary with G to N.
Guidance Notes (HSE): Guidance issued by the HSE and, if followed, you will normally be doing enough to comply with the law.
See below for list of asbestos Guidance Notes.
HEPA Filter: High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter is a type of air filter. A HEPA filter must satisfy certain standards of efficiency and is a trademarked and generic term for highly efficient filters. It is used to remove any asbestos fibres in the air.
HSE: The Health and Safety Executive is the government agency responsible for the regulation of almost all health and safety risks arising from work activity in Britain.
HSG227: A comprehensive guide to managing asbestos in premises
HSG247: Asbestos: The Licensed Contractors Guide
HSG248: The analysts’ guide for sampling, analysis and clearance procedures
HSG264: Asbestos: The survey guide
L143 (second edition): Managing and Working with Asbestos is an approved code of practice and guidance. Two ACOP’s L127 (The management of asbestos in non-domestic premises) and L143 (Work with materials containing asbestos) have been consolidated into this single revised ACOP.
Licensable Work (with asbestos): Higher risk work with asbestos must only be done by a Licensed Contractor. Refer to HSE’s guidance on what work is Licensable here. See also HSE’s Asbestos work categories here.
Licensed Contractor: Most higher-risk work must only be done by a Licensed Contractor who has been assessed, authorised and licensed by the HSE Asbestos Licensing Unit as being competent to work with Licensed Materials. There are different types of License and the License should be checked to ensure it is current and valid for the type of work being carried out.
The Licensed Contractor is sometimes referred to as the LARC (Licensed Asbestos Removal Contractor).
Management Survey: A property is inspected and any suspect materials are sampled and analysed for asbestos content. A register documenting the location, extent and condition of the material is produced. Recommendations are also provided to ensure that areas of concern are made safe and that all asbestos containing materials are safely managed. This is the basic/ minimum type of asbestos survey carried out.
Method Statement: A document outlining the method by which the Licensed Removal Contractor will remove and dispose of the ACMs, often included in the Plan of Works.
MDHS100: MDHS100 is now obsolete (Methods for the Determination of Hazardous Substances – Surveying, sampling and assessment of asbestos-containing materials.) This has since been replaced by HSG264 (Asbestos: the survey guide).
Negative Pressure Unit (NPU): This is used in Licensable works to achieve negative pressure in an enclosure, sometimes also referred to as an ‘Air Mover’. The purpose of an NPU is to ventilate the enclosure and stop asbestos fibres escaping. The NPU incorporates a HEPA filter to remove any airborne asbestos fibres.
Non-Licensable work: This is defined as work with asbestos containing materials that does not require a license as the products are deemed to be lower risk. Refer to HSE’s Non-Licensed Work with Asbestos here. See also HSE’s Asbestos work categories here.
Notifiable Non Licensed Work (NNLW): Some Non-Licensed Work with asbestos requires the employer to notify the HSE and is known as Notifiable Non Licensed Work (NNLW). An employer or contractor can notify the HSE via an online form: ASB NNLW1-Notification of Non-Licensed Work with Asbestos. Examples of NNLW can also be found on the HSE website here.
Notification Period: The HSE require that a two week notification period is given prior to licensed works.The Licensed Asbestos Removal Contractor submits this to the HSE. However the HSE Notification Form ASB5 must be accompanied by a Method Statement and it will take a few days to prepare.
Realistically, one should therefore allow a minimum of three weeks from the date of order for the work to commence.
Download Asbestos Glossary G to N
Our other glossaries can be found on the links below: