Leak testing is back on the menu!

Why did we stop leak testing? The guidance hasn’t changed, and yet tests have become the preserve of nuclear sites and only the best-run NHS trusts. Nick Garland looks at what happened, and what the HSE is doing about it.

HSE’s HAVS calculator comes with a health warning!

The Health and Safety Executive recently launched a new spreadsheet to help calculate exposure for hand-arm vibration syndrome. Unfortunately it started out with a big flaw, as Nick Garland explains.

Enclosure airflow, why we care, and why we might be missing the point

It’s great to have guidance on a topic, but with it comes the risk that we test to meet the guidance, and forget what we’re actually trying to achieve. Enclosure airflow is a case in point, argues Nick Garland.

RPE, removal techniques, leak testing, and the need for consistency

FAAM is running a series of webinars around the challenges should the UK lower its Control Limit in line with the EU’s Occupational Exposure Limit. Nick Garland reports on the latest, and discusses the importance of focusing both inside and outside the enclosure.

Developing an exposure monitoring strategy

The Asbestos Network’s updated personal exposure guidance involves big changes from what came before. But with the right strategies, you can be fully compliant with the minimum effort. Nick Garland presents some simple tips.

A great new partnership for ARCA members

We’re thrilled to announce a new partnership with ARCA to deliver better exposure monitoring for licensed asbestos removal contractors (LARCs). Here’s Nick Garland with the details.

New Assure360 features

We’re always at work adding new features to Assure360 and our three apps. Our latest updates target hand-arm vibration syndrome, and make it easier for LARCs to stay on top of their targeting when it comes to personal monitoring.

Gel cutting in Guernsey

Earlier research suggested that gel-cutting could be a faster and safer way to remove asbestos-lagged pipework. But could new teams pick it up and get similar results? Nick Garland recounts a second investigation in Guernsey.

The HSE calls out training malpractice

The HSE has ruffled more than a few feathers with a statement naming two training organisations. But behind the brouhaha, Nick Garland writes, there are urgent questions about whether asbestos training is fit for purpose.

Five takeaways from the new exposure guidance

The entire asbestos industry has struggled to get to grips with personal exposure over the years, so the Asbestos Network’s monitoring guidance is both welcome and overdue. It’s a crucial area to understand, so here’s Nick Garland with five essential takeaways.

Gel Cutting – A New Removal Technique

Gel packs provide an alternative to the wrap and cut method for removing pipes, but without direct comparison, how do we know if the technique’s an improvement? FAAM designed a test to compare the two - Nick Garland examines the results.

Asbestos in schools: is the awareness building?

The government rejected Work and Pension Committee recommendations for a 40-year asbestos removal programme in public buildings. Now the Times has picked up the baton, launching a campaign to have ACMs removed from schools, as Nick Garland reports.