If you suspect you’ve been exposed to asbestos fibres at work, the next few hours matter more than most people realise. Asbestos-related diseases don’t announce themselves immediately — they develop silently over decades — which is exactly why knowing what to do if exposed to asbestos at work could be one of the most important things you ever act on.
This post walks through every step: from stopping work safely, to reporting obligations, your legal rights, PPE requirements, and how the right surveys prevent exposure incidents from happening in the first place.
Stop Work Immediately and Secure the Area
The moment you suspect you’ve disturbed an asbestos-containing material, stop what you’re doing. Do not carry on with the task, and do not attempt to clean up debris without the correct equipment and training — dry sweeping or vacuuming with a standard hoover will make things significantly worse by spreading fibres into the air.
Seal off the affected area as best you can. Close doors, use plastic sheeting if it’s available, and warn colleagues to stay clear until a competent person has assessed the situation.
Before you leave the area, take these steps:
- Put down any tools that may be contaminated
- Remove and bag any disposable overalls or PPE worn during the disturbance
- Do not eat, drink, or smoke until you have washed thoroughly
- Wash your hands and face with soap and water
- If you were wearing a respirator, remove it carefully outside the contaminated zone to avoid shaking loose fibres back into the air
These steps won’t undo any exposure that has already occurred, but they will limit further contamination and protect colleagues in the vicinity.
Report the Incident to Your Supervisor Without Delay
Once you’re safely out of the area, report the incident to your line manager or health and safety officer straight away. Don’t wait until the end of the shift — your employer has a legal duty to investigate and respond promptly.
Under the Control of Asbestos Regulations, duty holders in non-domestic buildings must manage asbestos-containing materials and ensure workers are not put at unnecessary risk. When an exposure incident occurs, that duty extends to taking immediate, appropriate action.
Make sure the incident is recorded in the workplace accident book. A written record protects both you and your employer and forms part of the evidence trail if a RIDDOR report is required. Include the date, time, location, what materials were disturbed, who was present, and what PPE was in use.
Understanding RIDDOR and When Your Employer Must Report
RIDDOR — the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations — places a duty on employers to report certain workplace incidents to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). If a worker has been exposed to asbestos in a way that constitutes a dangerous occurrence, or if a worker is later diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease, this must be reported.
Employers typically have ten days to submit a report for most incidents, though dangerous occurrences must be reported immediately. Failing to report under RIDDOR is a criminal offence.
Not every disturbance automatically triggers a RIDDOR report — the exposure must be assessed by a competent person to determine whether fibres were released at a level beyond normal background. But if the assessment concludes that significant exposure occurred, reporting is required. If your employer refuses to take this seriously, you have the right to contact the HSE directly.
Keep your own written record of what happened, when, where, and who was present. This documentation can be invaluable if health issues emerge years down the line.
What to Do If Exposed to Asbestos at Work: Seek Medical Advice
Visit your GP and explain clearly that you have been exposed to asbestos at work. Ask for the incident to be recorded in your medical notes — this creates a documented history that could be critical for future diagnosis and any compensation claims.
Asbestos-related diseases, including mesothelioma, asbestosis, and asbestos-related lung cancer, have long latency periods. Symptoms may not appear for decades after a single exposure event, which is precisely why even a seemingly minor incident should be taken seriously and recorded properly.
Your employer may also be required to arrange occupational health monitoring depending on the nature and level of exposure. Under the Control of Asbestos Regulations, workers engaged in certain types of asbestos work are entitled to health surveillance — this is a legal entitlement, not a discretionary benefit.
Symptoms to Watch For
In the immediate aftermath of exposure, you are unlikely to feel unwell. Asbestos-related conditions develop over many years. However, you should be aware of the following symptoms and seek medical attention promptly if any of them develop:
- Persistent shortness of breath or breathlessness on exertion
- A chronic cough that does not resolve
- Chest pain or tightness
- Unexplained weight loss
- Fatigue that does not improve with rest
Early diagnosis significantly improves treatment outcomes for asbestos-related conditions. Do not dismiss these symptoms as something minor, particularly if you have a known history of asbestos exposure at work.
Your Legal Rights as a Worker
Workers in the UK have clear legal protections when it comes to asbestos exposure. The Health and Safety at Work Act places a duty on employers to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety, and welfare of their employees. Asbestos management is a core part of that duty.
If your employer has failed to manage asbestos properly — for example, by not maintaining a current asbestos register, not commissioning appropriate surveys, or failing to inform workers of known asbestos-containing materials before work begins — they may be in breach of their legal obligations.
As a worker, you have the right to:
- Be informed of any known asbestos-containing materials in your workplace before you start work
- Receive appropriate asbestos awareness training
- Be provided with suitable personal protective equipment where required
- Refuse work that you reasonably believe poses a serious and imminent risk to your health
- Report concerns to the HSE without fear of detriment
If you believe your employer has acted unlawfully, seek advice from a trade union representative, a solicitor specialising in occupational health, or contact the HSE directly. You should not face any negative consequences for raising legitimate health and safety concerns.
PPE and Safe Working Practices During Asbestos Work
Where work involving asbestos cannot be avoided, appropriate personal protective equipment is non-negotiable. The right PPE significantly reduces the risk of inhaling dangerous fibres — but only when it is correctly selected, fitted, and used.
The Right Equipment for the Job
- Respiratory protective equipment (RPE): FFP3 disposable masks or powered air-purifying respirators (PAPRs) depending on the level of risk. Masks must be face-fit tested — a mask that doesn’t fit correctly offers little real protection, regardless of its rating.
- Disposable coveralls: Type 5 disposable coveralls prevent fibres from contaminating clothing. Remove them carefully and dispose of as asbestos waste — do not take contaminated clothing home.
- Gloves: Nitrile or similar gloves prevent skin contact with contaminated materials.
- Eye protection: Where there is a risk of debris, appropriate goggles should be worn.
PPE is the last line of defence, not the first. Engineering controls — such as wet suppression to prevent fibres becoming airborne, enclosures, and local exhaust ventilation — should always take priority. PPE supplements these controls; it does not replace them.
Asbestos Awareness Training: A Legal Requirement
Under the Control of Asbestos Regulations, any worker who is liable to disturb asbestos during their work — or who supervises such workers — must receive adequate information, instruction, and training. This is not optional, and it is not a one-off tick-box exercise.
Asbestos awareness training covers:
- The properties of asbestos and its effects on health
- The types of materials likely to contain asbestos and where they are commonly found
- How to recognise and avoid disturbing asbestos-containing materials
- Safe working practices and emergency procedures
- The correct use of PPE and RPE
Refresher training should be provided regularly. Employers who fail to provide adequate training leave themselves open to enforcement action from the HSE and, more critically, leave their workers exposed to a preventable health risk. If you have not received asbestos awareness training and your work could bring you into contact with asbestos-containing materials, raise this with your employer immediately.
How Proper Asbestos Surveys Prevent Exposure Incidents
The single most effective way to prevent accidental asbestos exposure at work is to know exactly where asbestos-containing materials are located before any work begins. That means having the right type of survey carried out by a qualified, UKAS-accredited surveyor — and keeping the resulting asbestos register up to date.
Many exposure incidents occur because workers disturb materials without knowing they contain asbestos. This is entirely preventable with proper surveying. The type of survey required depends on the nature of the work being carried out.
Management Surveys for Occupied Buildings
For buildings in normal use, a management survey identifies the location, extent, and condition of any asbestos-containing materials that could be disturbed during routine maintenance or occupancy. The findings feed directly into an asbestos management plan, which informs workers what is present and how to avoid disturbing it.
Without this survey, maintenance workers, electricians, plumbers, and decorators are working blind — and that is precisely when accidental exposure incidents happen.
Refurbishment and Demolition Surveys Before Major Works
Before any significant renovation work begins, a refurbishment survey must be carried out to locate all asbestos-containing materials in the areas to be worked on, including those concealed within the building’s fabric such as behind walls, above ceilings, and beneath floors.
Where a structure is being torn down entirely, a demolition survey is required — the most intrusive survey type, designed to locate every trace of asbestos before work commences. Skipping either step is not only dangerous; it is a breach of the Control of Asbestos Regulations and could result in significant fines and enforcement action from the HSE.
Re-Inspection Surveys to Monitor Condition Over Time
Asbestos that is in good condition and left undisturbed poses a lower risk than damaged or deteriorating material. However, conditions change — materials can be damaged by maintenance activities, water ingress, or general wear. A re-inspection survey periodically checks the condition of known asbestos-containing materials and updates the risk register accordingly.
If material has deteriorated since the last inspection, the management plan must be updated and remediation action taken. This ongoing process is what keeps a building’s asbestos management robust over time and prevents the gradual deterioration of materials from going unnoticed.
Safe Removal: When Asbestos Must Come Out
Sometimes the safest course of action is to remove asbestos-containing materials entirely — particularly before refurbishment, or when materials are in poor condition and pose an ongoing risk to workers and building occupants.
This is not a job for general contractors or in-house maintenance teams. For most types of asbestos work, asbestos removal must be carried out by a contractor holding a licence issued by the HSE. Even for notifiable non-licensed work (NNLW) — a category covering certain lower-risk tasks — employers must notify the relevant enforcing authority before work begins, maintain health records for workers, and ensure appropriate controls are in place.
Professional removal involves controlled enclosures, negative pressure units, wet suppression techniques to minimise airborne fibres, and rigorous decontamination procedures. Waste must be double-bagged, clearly labelled, and disposed of at a licensed facility with the correct consignment documentation.
Attempting to remove asbestos without the correct licences, training, and equipment puts workers, building occupants, and the public at serious risk — and exposes employers to criminal liability.
What to Do If Exposed to Asbestos at Work: The Key Steps Summarised
If you take nothing else from this post, remember these steps:
- Stop work immediately and secure the affected area
- Remove and bag contaminated PPE carefully outside the area
- Wash hands and face thoroughly before eating, drinking, or leaving the site
- Report to your supervisor without delay and ensure the incident is logged
- Establish whether a RIDDOR report is required and follow through
- Visit your GP and request the incident is added to your medical notes
- Know your legal rights — you are entitled to training, information, and protection
- Ensure your employer has the right surveys in place to prevent future incidents
Acting promptly on each of these steps creates a paper trail, protects your health, and ensures your employer meets their obligations under the Control of Asbestos Regulations and HSE guidance including HSG264.
Get the Right Survey in Place Before an Incident Occurs
The best time to act on asbestos is before anyone is exposed. Whether you manage a single commercial property or a large industrial estate, having the right surveys in place — and keeping them current — is what protects your workers and keeps you on the right side of the law.
Supernova Asbestos Surveys provides UKAS-accredited surveying and management services across the UK, with over 50,000 surveys completed nationwide. If you need an asbestos survey London, our teams are on hand to respond quickly. For businesses in the North West, our asbestos survey Manchester service covers the full region. And for clients in the Midlands, our asbestos survey Birmingham team delivers the same high standard of accredited surveying.
Don’t wait for an incident to happen. Book a survey today, call us on 020 4586 0680, or visit asbestos-surveys.org.uk to find out how we can help you protect your workers and meet your legal obligations.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I do immediately if I think I’ve been exposed to asbestos at work?
Stop work straight away and leave the affected area without disturbing materials further. Remove and bag any contaminated PPE or overalls, wash your hands and face thoroughly, and report the incident to your supervisor immediately. The area should be sealed off and assessed by a competent person before any further work takes place.
Does a single asbestos exposure at work mean I will develop an asbestos-related disease?
A single, brief exposure does not automatically mean you will develop a disease — risk is generally related to the level and duration of exposure over time. However, no level of asbestos exposure is considered completely safe, which is why even a single incident should be reported, documented, and recorded with your GP. Early documentation is critical if health issues emerge years later.
Is my employer legally required to tell me if there is asbestos in my workplace?
Yes. Under the Control of Asbestos Regulations, duty holders must manage asbestos-containing materials in non-domestic premises and ensure that anyone liable to disturb those materials is informed of their location and condition before work begins. Failure to do so is a breach of the regulations and can result in enforcement action by the HSE.
When does an asbestos exposure incident need to be reported to the HSE?
Under RIDDOR, employers must report dangerous occurrences involving asbestos exposure and any subsequent diagnosis of an asbestos-related disease in a worker. The specific reporting timescales depend on the nature of the incident, but dangerous occurrences must be reported immediately. If you are unsure whether a report is required, a competent person should assess the exposure and make that determination.
What type of asbestos survey does my workplace need?
The type of survey depends on how the building is being used. Buildings in normal occupation require a management survey to identify and monitor asbestos-containing materials. Before any refurbishment work, a refurbishment survey is required. If a building is being demolished, a demolition survey must be completed first. Regular re-inspection surveys are also required to monitor the condition of known materials over time. A UKAS-accredited surveyor can advise on exactly what is needed for your property.