CalmComplianceRisk Assessment template
School Asbestos Premises-User Protection Risk Assessment
- Version
- v1
- Updated
- 1 October 2026
- Audience
- Maintained and academy primary and secondary schools in England, including employers, dutyholders, competent asbestos advisers, premises and facilities staff, contractors and others responsible for protecting premises users.
- Jurisdiction
- england
Activity assessed
Managing, occupying, maintaining, repairing, altering, surveying, refurbishing, demolishing or otherwise using school buildings and grounds where asbestos-containing materials may be present or disturbed. Applicability, dutyholder arrangements, building information, work activities and controls must be confirmed for the specific school.
Assess each hazard and its controls against your site before use. Template ratings require local review.
Hazards and controls
Unclear or incomplete allocation of employer and premises maintenance responsibilities could leave employees, pupils, students, visitors, contractors or other premises users unprotected from known or foreseeable asbestos-related health and safety risks. The responsible employer and dutyholder arrangements depend on the school type and responsibility for maintenance or repair.
- Existing controls
- Not confirmed from the supplied information. Record the school type, employer, premises dutyholder, maintenance and repair responsibilities, delegated roles, escalation routes and any relevant arrangements.
- Proposed controls
- Identify and document the employer and all relevant dutyholders for the premises. Confirm whether the school is maintained or an academy and, where relevant, whether local-authority or academy-trust responsibilities apply. Allocate roles for asbestos management, maintenance, contractor control, communication, incident response and review. Ensure delegated functions do not obscure that the employer's duty remains with the employer. Record unresolved responsibility or funding interfaces as actions with an owner and review date.
Local assessment and additional controls
Asbestos-containing materials may be present, incorrectly identified, poorly described, inaccessible or omitted from available building information, resulting in uncontrolled exposure during occupation, maintenance or project work.
- Existing controls
- Not confirmed from the supplied information. Verify the presence, scope, currency, quality and accessibility of asbestos surveys, registers, plans, records, management plans and related information.
- Proposed controls
- Obtain and review appropriate asbestos information for each relevant building and area. Record known, presumed and suspected asbestos-containing materials, their condition, location, accessibility, management status and any limitations in the information. Do not treat absent or incomplete records as confirmation that asbestos is absent. Arrange competent survey or assessment where required before intrusive, refurbishment, demolition or other potentially disturbing work. Control access to relevant information and maintain version control.
Local assessment and additional controls
Maintenance, repair, installation or inspection activities may disturb asbestos-containing materials and release airborne fibres, exposing workers or other premises users.
- Existing controls
- Not confirmed from the supplied information. Verify work-planning, permit, survey-review, isolation, supervision and contractor-control arrangements before any intrusive or potentially disturbing task.
- Proposed controls
- Require work planners and contractors to check current asbestos information before work starts. Define tasks that must stop and be referred for competent assessment where asbestos information is absent, contradictory or indicates potential disturbance. Use appropriate plans, permits, specifications, isolation, exclusion and supervision arrangements. Ensure work is undertaken only by persons with the competence and authorisation appropriate to the task and material. Prevent reoccupation until the responsible person is satisfied that the area and work status are suitable.
Local assessment and additional controls
Refurbishment, alteration, demolition or major building work may disturb concealed or inaccessible asbestos-containing materials, affecting workers, occupants, visitors and neighbouring areas.
- Existing controls
- Not confirmed from the supplied information. Record project-specific surveys, design information, scope boundaries, contractor competence, segregation and handover arrangements where such work is proposed or foreseeable.
- Proposed controls
- Make asbestos identification and risk control a defined project stage before intrusive design or construction work. Obtain surveys suitable for the planned work and address limitations, hidden areas and changes in scope. Include asbestos requirements in procurement, specifications, contractor information, change control, site segregation, emergency arrangements and handover. Suspend work if unexpected suspect material is found, secure the area and obtain competent advice before proceeding.
Local assessment and additional controls
Damage, deterioration, vandalism, accidental impact, water ingress, fire, storm damage or other unplanned events may disturb asbestos-containing materials and expose premises users.
- Existing controls
- Not confirmed from the supplied information. Verify inspection, defect reporting, incident response, area isolation and escalation arrangements for damaged or deteriorating materials.
- Proposed controls
- Include relevant asbestos-containing materials in planned condition monitoring where appropriate. Provide a clear route for reporting damage, suspected disturbance or deterioration. On discovery of damage or suspected release, stop activities where safe, restrict access, prevent further disturbance, notify the responsible persons, obtain competent advice and arrange appropriate investigation, cleaning, repair or removal. Record the incident, affected areas, people potentially exposed, decisions and follow-up actions without assuming exposure or clearance where evidence is unavailable.
Local assessment and additional controls
Contractors, delivery personnel, volunteers, visitors or other non-school workers may enter or work in areas containing asbestos without receiving relevant information or following required controls.
- Existing controls
- Not confirmed from the supplied information. Verify contractor selection, induction, asbestos-information sharing, supervision, access control and coordination arrangements.
- Proposed controls
- Provide relevant, current asbestos information to contractors and other persons whose work or access could be affected. Check competence, scope, method statements, risk assessments and arrangements before work begins. Coordinate simultaneous activities and restrict access to controlled or affected areas. Define supervision, stop-work and escalation requirements. Retain suitable records of information provided, approvals, changes, incidents and handover.
Local assessment and additional controls
Employees, pupils, students, visitors and other premises users may be exposed if asbestos-containing materials are damaged, disturbed during routine activities or accessed without adequate information and controls.
- Existing controls
- Not confirmed from the supplied information. Verify occupancy arrangements, access restrictions, condition checks, reporting routes, communication and supervision for areas where asbestos-containing materials may be present.
- Proposed controls
- Manage asbestos-containing materials so that routine occupation and foreseeable activities do not cause disturbance. Restrict access where necessary, protect vulnerable or frequently accessed materials, and communicate relevant precautions in an age- and role-appropriate way. Include asbestos considerations in premises inspections, room changes, events, furniture or equipment installation and other non-routine activities. Review controls where use, occupancy, layout or building condition changes.
Local assessment and additional controls
People may be unaware of relevant asbestos risks, restrictions, reporting routes or work controls, increasing the likelihood of inadvertent disturbance or delayed response.
- Existing controls
- Not confirmed from the supplied information. Identify current information, training, induction, signage, communication and consultation arrangements and assess whether they reach the relevant audiences.
- Proposed controls
- Define who needs asbestos information and what each audience needs to know. Provide suitable information, instruction, training or induction for employees, premises staff, contractors and others with relevant responsibilities. Give pupils, students, visitors and other premises users appropriate information where needed to protect them from foreseeable risks. Maintain accessible records and update communications when asbestos information, building use, controls or work arrangements change.
Local assessment and additional controls
Changes to buildings, occupancy, curriculum activities, maintenance arrangements, contractors, ownership or employer responsibilities may make existing asbestos controls incomplete or unsuitable.
- Existing controls
- Not confirmed from the supplied information. Verify whether change-control, review triggers, handover and update arrangements exist for asbestos information and responsibilities.
- Proposed controls
- Define review triggers including building works, changes in use or occupancy, changes to dutyholders or contractors, new survey information, damage, incidents, complaints and relevant organisational changes. Reassess affected risks and update the asbestos register, management arrangements, communications and work controls. Ensure information is handed over when responsibilities or premises arrangements change. Record decisions, assumptions, outstanding actions and review dates.
Local assessment and additional controls
A suspected asbestos incident, accidental disturbance or uncontrolled release may be poorly managed, resulting in continued access, further disturbance, delayed competent advice or incomplete protection of affected people.
- Existing controls
- Not confirmed from the supplied information. Verify incident procedures, contact details, stop-work arrangements, isolation methods, communication, competent support and recovery or reoccupation criteria.
- Proposed controls
- Maintain a proportionate response process for suspected disturbance or release. Specify immediate actions, including stopping relevant work where safe, preventing access, avoiding activities that could spread contamination, notifying responsible persons and obtaining competent advice. Identify how potentially affected people, parents or carers where relevant, contractors, emergency services and other stakeholders will be informed. Establish evidence-based criteria for investigation, remedial work, clearance or reoccupation and document the incident and lessons learned.
Local assessment and additional controls