Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 — Construction, Refurbishment and Refit
Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012
The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (CAR 2012) are the primary UK legislation governing the management and removal of asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) in the workplace. They apply to all work that may disturb asbestos — whether that is licensed removal, minor maintenance or the incidental disturbance of ACMs during construction and refurbishment work. For construction contractors, facilities managers, demolition operators and marine refit professionals, CAR 2012 is one of the most practically significant pieces of health and safety legislation in their day-to-day operations.
Asbestos is the single largest cause of work-related death in the UK — the Health and Safety Executive estimates over 5,000 deaths per year are attributable to past asbestos exposure, with mesothelioma and asbestos-related lung cancer killing more people than road traffic accidents. The risk does not come from undisturbed asbestos — it comes from disturbance during maintenance, refurbishment, demolition and refit work that releases respirable asbestos fibres into the air.
What CAR 2012 requires
Regulation 4 — Duty to manage
The duty to manage applies to non-domestic premises. Duty holders — building owners, facilities managers and those in control of premises — must identify the presence and condition of ACMs in their premises, assess the risk from those materials, and produce and implement a written plan to manage that risk. This duty applies regardless of whether any construction or maintenance work is planned.
Regulation 5 — Identification of asbestos before work begins
Before any demolition, construction or maintenance work begins that may disturb asbestos, the person instructing the work must ensure a thorough survey has been carried out to identify ACMs that may be disturbed. This is typically a Refurbishment and Demolition Survey (R&D Survey) carried out by a UKAS-accredited surveyor. An R&D Survey must be carried out for every area of a building or structure that will be disturbed by the proposed work — including areas that may be affected by vibration, air movement or adjacent penetrations.
Regulations 8 and 9 — Licensed and non-licensed work
CAR 2012 divides asbestos work into three categories based on the risk of the material and the nature of the work:
- Licensed work — required for work with asbestos insulation, asbestos insulation board (AIB) and asbestos lagging. Licensed contractors only. Advance notification to the HSE required. Health surveillance and medical examinations for all workers.
- Notifiable non-licensed work (NNLW) — required for work with asbestos-cement and other lower-risk ACMs. Must be notified to the HSE but can be carried out by non-licensed contractors who have received adequate information, instruction and training. Health records must be kept for 40 years.
- Non-licensed work — minor, short-duration work with lowest-risk materials. Still requires COSHH assessment, suitable PPE and appropriate methods.
Regulation 16 — H-Class extraction for asbestos dust
Any vacuum equipment used for asbestos work must be H-Class (H14 HEPA, 99.995% filtration) with HEPA-certified filter disposal bags. Standard M-Class vacuums are not permitted for asbestos dust collection under any category of asbestos work. H-Class extraction is the minimum standard across all three work categories wherever vacuuming of asbestos dust or debris is required. Filters and collection bags must be treated as asbestos waste and disposed of in accordance with waste regulations.
Industries and environments where CAR 2012 is most relevant
- Construction and refurbishment — any building or structure built before 2000 may contain ACMs. Pre-2000 residential, commercial and industrial properties across the UK are the largest single source of incidental ACM disturbance during maintenance and refurbishment work.
- Demolition — R&D surveys are mandatory before demolition of any pre-2000 structure. ACMs must be removed under the appropriate work category before demolition begins.
- Social housing maintenance — local authority and housing association stock built before 2000 — particularly 1950s–1980s system-built properties and tower blocks — frequently contain ACMs in textured coatings, floor tiles, ceiling tiles, pipe lagging and panel systems.
- Marine refit — vessels built before 2000 frequently contain asbestos in thermal insulation, fire protection panels, gaskets and pipe lagging. Any refit or maintenance work that may disturb these materials requires full CAR 2012 compliance. See Marine and boat building sector →
- Industrial and manufacturing plant — older industrial facilities built pre-2000 contain ACMs in pipe lagging, boiler insulation and structural fire protection. Maintenance shutdown programmes on these facilities require full R&D surveys and licensed or NNLW contractor engagement as appropriate.
- Healthcare estates — NHS estates built pre-2000 are required to maintain an asbestos register under the Duty to Manage. Maintenance contractors must check the register before any work that could disturb ACMs.
Recommended V-TUF equipment for asbestos work
V-TUF MIDI H-Class — 21L H-Class dust extractor
H14 HEPA, 99.995% filtration, sealed filtration, HEPA-certified disposal bags. The required specification for all asbestos vacuum work across licensed, NNLW and non-licensed categories under CAR 2012. Sealed filtration prevents cross-contamination between filter changes — critical in asbestos environments where every filter change is an asbestos waste event. Available in 110V and 240V. SKU MIDIH110 / MIDIH240.
V-TUF MAXi H-Class — 50L high-capacity H-Class
H14 HEPA, 99.995% filtration, 50-litre capacity. For sustained asbestos remediation and large-area decontamination work where high-volume collection is required. SKU MAXI50H.
Asbestos regulations in context — the construction compliance stack
CAR 2012 sits alongside COSHH 2002 and CDM 2015 in the health and safety compliance stack for construction and refurbishment work. The interaction between the three regulations is important to understand:
- CDM 2015 requires the Principal Designer to identify and address significant hazards in the Pre-Construction Phase Plan. Where ACMs are known or suspected, the plan must address how asbestos risk will be managed before and during the works.
- COSHH 2002 requires a risk assessment for asbestos dust as a hazardous substance. H-Class extraction is the control measure specified under COSHH for all asbestos dust operations — whether the work is licensed, NNLW or non-licensed.
- CAR 2012 adds the specific requirements for surveying, notification, training and health surveillance that overlay the general COSHH and CDM duties.
CDM 2015 → COSHH Regulations 2002 → HSE EH40 Workplace Exposure Limits → ICRA →
City pages — construction and refurbishment with asbestos context
London → Birmingham → Manchester → Leeds → Sheffield → Bristol → Liverpool → Newcastle → Bradford → Hull → Glasgow → Belfast → Southampton → Portsmouth → Plymouth →
For marine refit and vessel refurbishment: Marine sector →
Related industries
Construction — CDM 2015, COSHH and H-Class extraction →
Social housing — pre-2000 housing stock and Awaab's Law →
Marine — vessel refit and asbestos in pre-2000 vessels →
Healthcare — NHS asbestos register and maintenance contractor compliance →
Further reading
Asbestos in construction: CAR 2012, pre-2000 buildings and what H-Class extraction is required →
Trade accounts
V-TUF operates trade account terms for licensed asbestos contractors, NNLW contractors, demolition operators and construction principal contractors. UK warehouse, next-day delivery on stocked items, UK technical support and spares for every machine in current production including HEPA filter cartridges and certified disposal bags.
Telephone: 01522 787978. Mention asbestos, CAR 2012 or licensed contractor at first contact.