Asbestos work in the UK falls into three categories, and the difference matters enormously for safety, cost and compliance. Understanding which category your job falls into is the first step to hiring the right contractor.
Licensed work covers the highest-risk materials — asbestos insulating board (AIB), sprayed coatings and thermal insulation (pipe and boiler lagging). This work can only be carried out by an HSE-licensed contractor and must, in most cases, be notified to the HSE at least 14 days before it starts.
Notifiable non-licensed work (NNLW) sits in the middle — certain higher-risk non-licensed tasks that must be notified to the HSE and require records of exposure and health surveillance, but not a full licence.
Non-licensed work covers lower-risk materials in good condition, such as asbestos cement sheets and some textured coatings and floor tiles, provided the work is short-duration and controlled.
When you hire an HSE-licensed contractor such as Innov8 UK Group (licence 242406081), you are hiring a company the HSE has independently assessed as competent to manage the most dangerous asbestos safely. Licensed contractors are audited, their operatives are trained and undergo regular medical surveillance, and their working methods — enclosures, negative pressure, decontamination and clearance air testing — are held to the standard set out in CAR 2012 and HSG247.
Ask to see the contractor's HSE licence and its expiry. Ask whether your work is licensable, and if so, confirm the HSE has been notified. Ask how clearance will be certified — reputable contractors use an independent UKAS-accredited analyst for the four-stage clearance, never their own staff. A contractor who welcomes these questions is one you can trust.
Getting this right protects your building's occupants, your workforce and your legal position as a duty holder under CAR 2012.
