14 August 2015
About Approved Code of Practice (ACoP8)
The ‘Management of Exposure to Asbestos in Workplace Buildings and Structures: Approved Code of Practice' has been revised. It will come into force on 1 October 2015.
The asbestos ACoP provides practical guidance to all persons having duties under Part 2 of the Health and Safety at Work (Jersey) Law 1989 and have responsibility for maintenance, repair and management of workplaces or are involved in working with asbestos.
It is six years since the asbestos ACoP was last revised.
Key amendments
While there are no significant changes to the principles of effective management of exposure to asbestos fibre in the revised edition, it reflects, where appropriate, changes in UK legislation.
Key references have been updated and outdated guidance has been removed.
The key amendments in the revision are:
- the terminology and format has been simplified to make the guidance clearer and easier to understand
- the import, use, reuse, sale and export of any asbestos and any asbestos-containing materials has been explicitly prohibited, except for the removal, remediation and disposal of asbestos waste in a prescribed manner
- guidance on the assessment of competence of asbestos surveyors has been updated to reflect currently available competency schemes
- revised guidance on the packaging of non-licensed asbestos waste for disposal has been provided. To facilitate disposal at the waste facility, administered by TTS at La Collette, non-licensed waste only may be double bagged using two clear UN approved bags providing a red asbestos bag or printed label (with the same information as the bag) securely attached to indicate it is asbestos waste. Licensed waste will still need to be double bagged using suitable UN approved bags, with a red inner bag and a clear outer bag
Legal status of an ACoP
An ACoP provides practical guidance on how to meet the general legal requirements set out in the Health and Safety at Work (Jersey) Law 1989.
It has a special legal status in that if you follow the guidance you will be doing enough to comply with the law in respect of the matters to which the ACoP extends.
You may use alternative methods to those set out in the ACoP, but if you are prosecuted for a breach of the law and it is proved that you did not follow the relevant provisions of the ACoP, you will need to show that you have complied with the law in some other way or the court will find you at fault.
Copies of the ACoP are available to download or on request from the Health and Safety Inspectorate.
Download the Management of Exposure to Asbestos ACoP8: in force 1 October 2015 (size 398kb)
gov.je