HSE publishes asbestos control limit review

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) undertook the review in response to the European Union’s (EU) decision to reduce its occupational exposure limit (OEL) for asbestos, and the 2022 Work and Pensions Committee report on ‘HSE’s approach to asbestos management’.

The review concluded that there was no clear evidence to show that lowering the Great Britain (GB) asbestos control limit (CL), from 0.1 fibres per millilitre (f/ml), measured as a 4-hour time-weighted average (TWA) would reduce current or future exposures and improve health outcomes.

The review also noted that there were difficulties of measurement at lower levels of exposure and that most asbestos work is already designed with the aim of keeping exposure to a minimum. It states that training, competence, site discipline, and regulatory enforcement will have greater influence on reducing asbestos exposure risks than changing numerical limits.