To comply with the Asbestos Licensing Regulations, companies working with Asbestos Insulating Board (AIB) have to be licensed. Asbestos removal has always been seen as work for the specialists who charge the earth, close the site and delay the project. But this is changing, and at the forefront is m&e contractor Dudley Bower Building Services (DBBS).
DBBS has gained an asbestos licence, enabling the firm to go in and remove AIB from buildings. Steve Wilton, md of DBBS, says: “DBBS is able to offer considerable added value to clients. The trained asbestos removal operatives are an integral part of the project team, being able to undertake other tasks while on site. This reduces the expense of employing specialist contractors and enables a more efficient use of the site operatives’ time.
“The management time involved with organising contractors is also removed, as well as the problems encountered when they fail to turn up.”
Being able to offer this added service to clients is a boon to business but it is not something that was undertaken lightly. Operatives have to be trained on removing the asbestos, safety issues and disposal. Then, they are put through an intensive interview with the Health and Safety Executive inspectorate to assess competency and understanding of the licence, its requirements and the regulations.
The training also involves providing details of the employer’s responsibilities as well as the employees’ understanding of best practice. The licence requires health surveillance and health records and compliance with the use and maintenance of specific personal protective equipment. And it doesn’t end there: retraining and constant medical surveillance are an on-going expense.
So why does DBBS do it? Wilton says: “While the costs for works involving asbestos appear high, the profit margins are generally in line with normal m&e contracting. However, having an asbestos licence is another way of offering a complete service. With this licence we are able to add value to our portfolio, which will benefit clients greatly, as we are able to provide a service previously only given by two specialists.”
Currently, DBBS has seven trained, medically certified operatives. Ten project/maintenance managers have also undertaken asbestos awareness training with an industry expert and all site operatives have undergone awareness training, carried out by the group safety department.
It may seem like a lot to go through simply to add another string to your bow, but if that ‘string’ saves the client time and effort, and makes you money, then surely it is well worth having?
Source
Electrical and Mechanical Contractor
