In December 2024, Innov8 UK Group was granted its licence to carry out licensed asbestos removal by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). It is the single most important credential an asbestos removal contractor can hold, and securing it marked the moment our business could take on the highest-risk asbestos materials in the country under full statutory control.
Under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (CAR 2012), the most dangerous asbestos-containing materials — such as asbestos insulating board (AIB), sprayed coatings and thermal pipe insulation (lagging) — can only be removed by a contractor holding a licence issued by the HSE. The licence is not a formality. To be granted one, a contractor must demonstrate competent management, trained and health-monitored operatives, robust method statements, proper decontamination and air monitoring arrangements, and a track record the HSE is willing to stand behind.
For clients, the licence is a guarantee. It means the company entering your building to remove asbestos has been independently assessed and authorised to do so, and is subject to ongoing HSE scrutiny.
With the licence granted, Innov8 UK Group immediately began mobilising its first fully licensed projects. These early jobs set the pattern for everything that followed: a purpose-built enclosure under negative pressure, decontamination through a dedicated unit (DCU), shadow vacuuming and controlled wetting to suppress fibres, personal air monitoring throughout, and a four-stage clearance certified by an independent UKAS-accredited analyst before any building is handed back.
The licence opened the door to the kind of work we specialise in today — from occupied homes and schools to industrial units and railway infrastructure across the North West, Yorkshire and the Midlands. Every project is delivered to the same standard the HSE licence demands: fully compliant with CAR 2012 and the HSE's approved guidance HSG247.
If you are planning refurbishment or demolition and asbestos may be present, talk to a licensed contractor early. Getting the survey and the removal right at the start protects everyone on site — and keeps your project on programme.
