Licensed vs non-licensed asbestos work — and is artex or a garage roof asbestos?

The three categories

Under CAR 2012, asbestos work falls into three broad categories based on risk. The category determines the legal controls, who can carry it out, and whether the work must be notified to the relevant enforcing authority (HSE in Great Britain or HSENI in Northern Ireland).

• Licensed work — higher-risk materials such as sprayed coatings, asbestos insulation, pipe lagging and most asbestos insulating board (AIB). Only a licensed contractor can do this — licensed by HSE in Great Britain or HSENI in Northern Ireland, as applicable; they work to HSE’s licensed contractors’ guide (HSG247) and must notify the relevant enforcing authority (HSE in Great Britain, or HSENI in Northern Ireland) at least 14 days before starting (in Great Britain this uses HSE form ASB5).
• Notifiable non-licensed work (NNLW) — work that is not licensable but still carries enough risk to require a one-off notification to the relevant enforcing authority, record-keeping and medical surveillance for workers.
• Non-licensed work — lower-risk work on materials like asbestos cement and many textured coatings, which still requires trained, competent workers and proper controls (HSE’s "Asbestos essentials" task sheets, HSG210, set out good practice) but no licence.

Why the category matters

For licensed work you must use a licensed contractor — licensed by HSE in Great Britain or HSENI in Northern Ireland, as applicable — and you can and should check their status against the published list of current licence holders before appointing anyone. The 14-day notification period (to the relevant enforcing authority — HSE in Great Britain, or HSENI in Northern Ireland) also affects your timeline, so factor it into any project. For non-licensed work, the worker still needs the right training, controls, air monitoring where appropriate, and safe disposal as hazardous waste.

Is artex (textured coating) asbestos?

Textured decorative coatings such as artex, applied to ceilings and walls in many pre-2000 homes, frequently contained chrysotile (white asbestos). You cannot tell by looking — it needs testing. The good news is that removing or working on textured coatings is generally lower-risk, non-licensed work (though it must still be done safely), and encapsulation is often a practical alternative to removal.

Is a garage or shed roof asbestos?

Corrugated cement sheet roofs on garages, sheds and outbuildings are a classic asbestos-cement product. Asbestos cement is non-friable and generally lower-risk, so its removal is usually non-licensed work — but it must still be handled, not broken up, and disposed of correctly as hazardous waste. It should be tested if there is any doubt.