How to Report Asbestos in the Workplace — and What to Do Before You Get There
Asbestos doesn’t announce itself. It sits quietly inside ceiling tiles, pipe lagging, floor tiles, and textured coatings — and in any building constructed or refurbished before 2000, there’s a real chance it’s present. Knowing how to report asbestos in the workplace is a legal and moral responsibility that falls on employers, duty holders, and employees alike. Get it wrong and the consequences range from enforcement action to, far more seriously, preventable deaths.
This post walks you through how to identify suspected asbestos-containing materials (ACMs), who is responsible for doing what, the correct reporting procedures, and how to stay on the right side of UK law.
Why Asbestos Reporting in the Workplace Matters
Asbestos-related disease is the single largest cause of work-related deaths in the UK. The fibres are invisible to the naked eye, odourless, and tasteless — and the diseases they cause, including mesothelioma, asbestosis, and lung cancer, can take 20 to 40 years to develop after exposure.
That long latency period is precisely why reporting is so critical. By the time symptoms appear, the damage is done. Early identification and proper reporting are the only effective tools available to prevent exposure in the first place.
Asbestos was widely used in UK construction right up until its full ban in 1999. Any building built before that date — offices, schools, hospitals, warehouses, retail units — should be treated as potentially containing ACMs until proven otherwise.
Who Is Responsible for Asbestos in the Workplace?
Under the Control of Asbestos Regulations, the duty to manage asbestos in non-domestic premises sits with the person or organisation who has control of the building. This is typically the owner, landlord, or facilities manager — known in legal terms as the duty holder.
The duty holder’s obligations include:
- Taking reasonable steps to identify whether ACMs are present
- Assessing the condition and risk of any ACMs found
- Maintaining an up-to-date asbestos register
- Putting a written asbestos management plan in place
- Ensuring anyone who might disturb ACMs is made aware of their location
- Regularly reviewing and updating the register and plan
Employees also have a role. Under health and safety law, workers must report any suspected asbestos they encounter to their employer or site manager immediately. Ignoring it or working around it is not an option.
How to Identify Suspected Asbestos-Containing Materials
You cannot identify asbestos by sight alone. However, there are clear indicators that a material may contain asbestos, and knowing what to look for is the first step in the reporting process.
Check the Building’s Age and History
Start with the basics. If the building was constructed or significantly refurbished before 2000, ACMs could be present. Gather any existing building records, previous asbestos surveys, or management plans from the duty holder or building owner.
If no records exist, that itself is useful information — it means a survey is almost certainly required before any intrusive work begins.
Know Where Asbestos Commonly Hides
Asbestos was used in hundreds of building products. Common locations include:
- Ceiling tiles and textured coatings (such as Artex)
- Pipe and boiler lagging
- Floor tiles and the adhesive beneath them
- Roof sheets and guttering
- Partition walls and ceiling panels
- Insulating board around doors, windows, and fireplaces
- Soffit boards and external cladding
If you’re working in or managing a building where any of these materials are present and the age of the building is uncertain, treat them as suspect until tested.
Do Not Disturb Suspected Materials
This is critical. Asbestos fibres are only dangerous when they become airborne — which happens when ACMs are drilled, cut, sanded, or otherwise disturbed. If you suspect a material contains asbestos, leave it alone. Do not attempt to take a sample yourself unless you are using an approved testing kit designed for safe bulk sampling, and even then, follow the instructions precisely.
The Correct Steps for Reporting Asbestos in the Workplace
Knowing how to report asbestos in the workplace means following a clear, structured process. Here’s what that looks like in practice.
Step 1 — Stop Work Immediately
If you discover or suspect ACMs during any work activity, stop immediately. This applies to maintenance workers, contractors, tradespeople, and any employee carrying out tasks that might disturb building fabric.
Do not continue working and do not attempt to clean up any dust or debris without specialist advice. Disturbed asbestos fibres can remain airborne for hours.
Step 2 — Isolate the Area
Restrict access to the affected area. Use physical barriers and clear warning signage to prevent others from entering. If dust or debris is visible, the area should be sealed off and ventilation systems in that zone switched off to prevent fibres spreading through the building.
Step 3 — Report to Your Employer or Site Manager
Notify your employer, supervisor, or site manager without delay. Provide as much detail as possible: the location, the material involved, whether it has been disturbed, and what activity was taking place at the time.
This report should be documented in writing, even if an initial verbal report is made first. A written record protects everyone involved and forms part of the site’s health and safety documentation.
Step 4 — The Duty Holder Takes Over
Once reported, the duty holder must arrange for a competent, qualified person to assess the situation. This typically means commissioning one of the following:
- A management survey to locate and assess ACMs across the building
- A refurbishment survey if the discovery occurred during or ahead of planned renovation works
- A demolition survey if the building is being fully or partially demolished
The type of survey required depends on the circumstances. A surveyor will take samples from suspect materials, which are then analysed at a UKAS-accredited laboratory to confirm whether asbestos is present and which type.
Step 5 — Arrange Licensed Removal If Required
If analysis confirms the presence of asbestos, and particularly if it is in a friable or damaged condition, licensed removal may be necessary. Only contractors licensed by the HSE are permitted to carry out certain categories of asbestos removal work. Asbestos removal must be carried out under controlled conditions, with air monitoring before, during, and after the work.
Step 6 — Update the Asbestos Register
Following the survey and any remedial work, the asbestos register must be updated to reflect the current position. If ACMs remain in situ and are in good condition, they may be managed rather than removed — but their location, condition, and risk rating must be documented.
A re-inspection survey should then be scheduled at regular intervals (typically annually) to monitor the condition of any remaining ACMs and ensure the register stays current.
When to Report Asbestos to the HSE
In certain situations, asbestos incidents must be reported to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) rather than simply managed internally.
Under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR), employers are required to report any diagnosis of a work-related asbestos disease — including mesothelioma — to the HSE. This is a legal requirement, not optional.
Additionally, if an uncontrolled release of asbestos fibres occurs — for example, if ACMs are accidentally disturbed during maintenance work and workers are potentially exposed — this constitutes a dangerous occurrence and must also be reported.
Failure to report under RIDDOR can result in prosecution and significant financial penalties.
Asbestos Reporting Obligations for Specific Roles
Employers
Employers must ensure that any employee who discovers suspected asbestos knows exactly what to do. This means having a clear internal reporting procedure in place, training staff appropriately, and ensuring that duty holder responsibilities are clearly assigned.
Where employees work in buildings they do not own or control — for example, contractors working on client sites — employers must coordinate with the building’s duty holder to obtain asbestos information before work begins.
Contractors and Tradespeople
Tradespeople are among the most at-risk groups when it comes to asbestos exposure, precisely because their work regularly involves disturbing building fabric. Before any intrusive work begins, always ask the duty holder whether an asbestos survey has been carried out and request a copy of the asbestos register.
If no survey exists or the register is out of date, insist that a survey is completed before work proceeds. This is not overly cautious — it is a legal requirement under the Control of Asbestos Regulations.
Facilities Managers and Building Owners
If you manage a non-domestic premises, you carry the legal duty to manage asbestos. This means you cannot simply wait for someone to report a problem — you must proactively identify whether ACMs are present and manage them accordingly.
If your building does not have a current asbestos register, the starting point is a management survey. From there, a management plan is produced, and the register is maintained and updated on an ongoing basis.
The Legal Framework: What UK Law Requires
The Control of Asbestos Regulations set out the legal framework for asbestos management in Great Britain. Key obligations relevant to workplace reporting include:
- Regulation 4 — The duty to manage asbestos in non-domestic premises, including identification, risk assessment, and the production and maintenance of an asbestos management plan
- Regulation 5 — The duty to carry out an assessment before any work liable to disturb asbestos begins
- Regulation 16 — The duty to provide information, instruction, and training to employees who may be exposed to asbestos
HSG264, the HSE’s definitive survey guide, sets the standard for how asbestos surveys should be conducted. Any survey commissioned should comply with HSG264 to be legally defensible and fit for purpose.
It is also worth noting that if your premises requires a fire risk assessment, the presence of ACMs may be relevant to that assessment — particularly where fire could damage or disturb asbestos-containing materials.
Practical Tips for Building a Robust Asbestos Reporting Culture
Reporting procedures only work if people actually use them. Here’s how to make asbestos reporting part of your everyday workplace safety culture:
- Display the asbestos register prominently — or ensure it is accessible to anyone who needs it, including contractors arriving on site
- Include asbestos awareness in inductions — every new employee or contractor should know the basics before they start work
- Make reporting easy and blame-free — workers should feel confident reporting a concern without fear of disrupting a project or being blamed for delays
- Appoint a named asbestos manager — someone with clear responsibility for coordinating surveys, maintaining the register, and managing contractors
- Keep records of everything — survey reports, risk assessments, contractor communications, and re-inspection results should all be retained and easily retrievable
Getting a Survey Booked: What to Expect
If you need to commission a survey — whether following an incident, ahead of planned works, or simply to establish the baseline position for your building — the process is straightforward.
A BOHS P402-qualified surveyor will carry out a thorough visual inspection of the property, taking samples from any materials suspected of containing asbestos. Those samples are sent to a UKAS-accredited laboratory for analysis under polarised light microscopy.
You’ll receive a written report containing an asbestos register, condition ratings, risk assessments, and a management plan — all compliant with HSG264 and the Control of Asbestos Regulations.
Supernova Asbestos Surveys operates across the UK, including asbestos survey London and asbestos survey Manchester — with same-week availability in most areas. Get a free quote online in minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I report asbestos in the workplace if I’m an employee?
Stop work immediately and notify your employer, supervisor, or site manager without delay. Do not disturb the material or attempt to clean up any dust. Provide a written record of what you found, where, and under what circumstances. Your employer then has a legal obligation to take the matter forward — which typically means arranging a professional asbestos survey.
What happens if asbestos is found during a refurbishment project?
Work must stop in the affected area immediately. The duty holder should commission a refurbishment survey if one hasn’t already been completed. If ACMs are confirmed and are in a condition that poses a risk, licensed removal contractors must be engaged before any further work proceeds. The asbestos register must be updated to reflect the findings.
Is it a legal requirement to have an asbestos register?
Yes. Under the Control of Asbestos Regulations, duty holders of non-domestic premises are legally required to identify ACMs, assess their condition and risk, and maintain a written asbestos management plan — which includes an asbestos register. Failure to comply can result in prosecution, fines, and improvement notices from the HSE.
Can I take an asbestos sample myself?
In limited circumstances, and using an approved method, bulk sampling by non-specialists is possible — for example, using a postal testing kit. However, sampling must be done carefully and with appropriate precautions to avoid fibre release. For workplace situations, it is almost always preferable to have a qualified surveyor take samples under controlled conditions to ensure accuracy and legal compliance.
How often should an asbestos register be reviewed?
The HSE recommends that ACMs remaining in situ are re-inspected at least annually, or sooner if there is any reason to believe their condition may have changed — for example, following building works, damage, or a change in use of the premises. A re-inspection survey carried out by a qualified surveyor provides the documented evidence that your management plan is being properly followed.
Speak to Supernova Asbestos Surveys
Supernova Asbestos Surveys has completed over 50,000 surveys across the UK. Our BOHS-qualified surveyors, UKAS-accredited laboratory, and transparent fixed pricing make us the straightforward choice when you need reliable, compliant asbestos management.
Whether you need a management survey, a refurbishment or demolition survey, re-inspection services, or guidance on how to report asbestos in the workplace, we’re here to help.
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