Reportedly, asbestos is present in 94% of UK hospitals and it is known to cause 5,000 deaths a year from asbestos-caused cancers which can develop decades after the exposure. About 20 tradespeople die each week as a result of past exposure to asbestos fibres while at work. 

To reduce the exposure of asbestos, Dutyholders within the Estates and Compliance teams of healthcare properties have an obligation to identify, assess and manage asbestos risks within all their buildings and assets in line with the Control of Asbestos Regulations (CAR) 2012.

Asbestos containing materials (ACMs) were commonly used as building materials throughout the 20th century where many of the UK's hospitals were built, refurbished or extended. This has left a legacy of asbestos materials being present throughout many hospital buildings and exposure and contamination being a priority risk for healthcare Estates and Compliance teams.

Effective asbestos management in a healthcare environment requires expertise and a strategic approach, with policies and procedures in place to control and prevent the risk of asbestos exposure to all staff, patients and visitors during any day to day activities as well as maintenance and refurbishment work.

Our Experience

Everything we do is to protect people and the planet, and in our asbestos management services, we ensure the safety, wellbeing and security of your property, staff and building users, including patients, contractors and visitors. 

As the UK’s market leader in asbestos testing, inspection and consultancy, we have worked with many NHS Trusts and Health Boards across England, Wales and Scotland. We are a professional and trusted supplier that has extensive experience of working with NHS Trusts and Health Boards to support them in remaining compliant with CAR 2012. This experience means we have an in-depth understanding of the challenges associated with managing asbestos in health care environments.

We provide all services needed to manage asbestos risk effectively, including:

• asbestos management surveys to identify if and how many ACMs are present on your sites and create a register of known ACMs

• annual re-inspections to check the status and condition of known ACMs and ensure compliance CAR 2012

• online asbestos portal for streamlined and efficient management of your asbestos data 

• asbestos refurbishment/demolition surveys that need to be completed ahead of any intrusive work to make sure any ACMs within the fabric of the building are identified and managed before the refurbishment work begins. 

• project management of asbestos removal works, including writing specifications and managing the removal contractor tender process, as well as supervision of removal works on-site with air testing

• air monitoring services using both Phase Contrast Microscopy (PCM) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) testing methods for greater risk management capabilities

• training for NHS Trust and Health Board duty holders and other stakeholders so they have the competency to manage asbestos effectively across their estate

Methodology & Quality Assurance

Visibility of your portfolio

We provide access to our cloud-based asbestos management system, NexGen, so your Estates and Compliance teams can review asbestos data at any time and from any device with a web browser. As an online system, the portal updates in real-time meaning whenever you or your teams review the data you can be sure that it is accurate and up to date.

Giving you control of access to your data, you can also grant access to your contractors, such as electricians and plumbers, by adding users as you need them so that they can check the asbestos register for the area they are working in prior to starting - this is a key step in ensuring compliance with CAR 2012. You can control who has access to your asbestos risk data and when.

NexGen undergoes security audits and penetration testing from external certification bodies to ensure it is safe, secure and remains certified to Cyber Essentials Plus standards. 

Developed in-house, with Lucion NexGen software your data does not pass through third-party software companies. Our business runs on NexGen, so you have peace of mind knowing that we continually invest in improving the software and our security measures for both the benefit of our clients and the sustainability of Lucion’s future.