SAFETY UPDATE: The management of asbestos in buildings on Scout owned and operated premises and sites is key to ensuring adherence to the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, within which there are legal duties which must be fulfilled. As a Commissioner or Chair of an Executive Committee we are asking that you take immediate action to assure yourselves that the appropriate plans, checks and documentation are in place.

As a reminder, if you are responsible for the maintenance or repair of non-domestic premises (e.g. buildings on scout premises or a site), the Executive Committee responsible must fulfil and properly document the following:
– Find out if asbestos is present
– Make a record of the location, type and condition of the asbestos (creating a register)
– Assess the risk of anyone being exposed to the asbestos
– Prepare a plan on how to manage these risks (creating a management plan)
– Put the plan into action, monitor it and keep it up to date
– Provide this information to anyone who might work on or disturb the asbestos

Support is available to help with this through the guidance for the management of asbestos which outlines what you should know and what you need to do. If anything is unclear or you need further advice please contact the Safety Team at Headquarters by email at [email protected].

Asbestos is more likely to be an issue for buildings constructed before 2000. It is understood that asbestos is commonly associated with roofing sheets or pipe lagging and you may think your building is free of asbestos because it is primarily, for example, made from wood. Asbestos was widely used in construction until the end of 1999, and the law requires it to be presumed that materials contain asbestos unless there is strong evidence that they do not.
Before it was banned, asbestos was used in many products. If you do not already maintain a register, the way to be sure if you have asbestos in your building or not is to have an asbestos survey undertaken and documented by a competent person. Asbestos is only dangerous when disturbed, if it is safely managed and contained, it doesn’t present a health hazard.

Please can we ask that you and your Executive Committee are satisfied that the above six points have been considered, actioned and documented. If one has not already been undertaken, you may require to instruct a suitably competent person to undertake an asbestos survey to ensure the Executive Committee is discharging its responsibilities and is able to evidence the six points above.

If the Executive Committee is aware of asbestos being present in your building, could we ask that you review and make relevant updates to your management plan, making sure up-to-date inspection dates are documented.

Asbestos management should always be something that remains on your agenda, as you continue to monitor and document any changes. If you’ve not got any plans in place, this is something that must be completed as soon as it possibly can.

Keeping everyone safe in Scouting is our number one priority and by taking action as soon as you possibly can, you’re helping make sure that we continue to provide fun and enjoyable experiences for all members in safe environments.
Thank you so much for your support in putting safety at the heart of what we do.
Keeping everyone safe in Scouting is our number one priority and by taking action as soon as you possibly can, you’re helping make sure that we continue to provide fun and enjoyable experiences for all members in safe environments.
Thank you so much for your support in putting safety at the heart of what we do.