CalmComplianceRisk Assessment template
School Asbestos Risk Assessment and Control Arrangement
- Version
- v1
- Updated
- 1 October 2026
- Audience
- School dutyholders, senior leaders, premises and facilities teams, maintenance staff, contractors, designers, project managers, supervising staff, agency and catering staff, teaching and voluntary staff, and others who may work in or use relevant school buildings.
- Jurisdiction
- england
Activity assessed
Assess and manage the risk from known, presumed, unidentified or hidden asbestos-containing materials in school buildings, including routine occupation, maintenance, repair, refurbishment, demolition, emergency response, contractor activities and community or out-of-hours use. Complete only where the stated conditional applicability is met, and record site-specific evidence, decisions, actions and review arrangements without assigning numerical risk scores.
Assess each hazard and its controls against your site before use. Template ratings require local review.
Hazards and controls
Exposure to asbestos fibres because known, presumed, unidentified or hidden asbestos-containing materials are present, or because the location, condition or extent of such materials is not sufficiently established.
- Existing controls
- No site-specific asbestos register, survey, material condition information or control evidence was provided. Record and verify the current asbestos register, relevant surveys, material locations, condition information, inaccessible or presumed areas, responsible persons and arrangements for keeping the information current.
- Proposed controls
- Maintain an up-to-date asbestos management plan and asbestos register covering known and presumed asbestos-containing materials, their locations, condition and management arrangements. Identify limitations, inaccessible areas and potentially hidden materials. Do not assume that an area is asbestos-free because no material is visible. Before work that may disturb the building fabric, determine whether known, unidentified, presumed or hidden asbestos could be disturbed and obtain suitable survey information. Restrict access or introduce other precautions where the material or its condition cannot be adequately established. Record remedial actions, owners, target dates and closure evidence.
Local assessment and additional controls
People may disturb asbestos or enter an affected area without knowing the relevant material locations, prohibited activities, precautions or response arrangements.
- Existing controls
- No site-specific evidence was provided about communication arrangements, access restrictions, asbestos register availability or information provided to staff, contractors, visitors, community users or emergency services. Record what arrangements exist and verify their scope and currency.
- Proposed controls
- Provide relevant asbestos information to people who may work in or use the building, including locations of relevant materials, activities to avoid and actions following accidental damage. Make appropriate information available to contractors, designers, workers, parents, carers, visitors, community users and emergency services according to their potential exposure and role. Ensure emergency services can access current asbestos information without needing access to the building. Include out-of-hours and community use in the management arrangements. Use access controls, signage or other suitable measures where required to prevent disturbance.
Local assessment and additional controls
Routine maintenance, cleaning, installation, inspection or other activities may disturb asbestos-containing materials and release fibres.
- Existing controls
- No site-specific evidence was provided about task controls, permit arrangements, worker competence, supervision or checks against the asbestos register. Confirm which routine tasks are undertaken, who undertakes them and what controls are currently verified.
- Proposed controls
- Check the asbestos register and relevant survey information before starting any task that could disturb building materials. Define prohibited activities and escalation arrangements for uncertain materials. Use a permit-to-work or equivalent authorisation process where appropriate. Ensure workers and supervisors have the information, instruction and training appropriate to their potential to disturb asbestos. Use competent persons and suitable work methods, prevent unauthorised access, and stop work immediately if suspect material is encountered or damaged. Obtain specialist advice and arrange appropriate asbestos work where the task cannot be safely completed under the applicable non-licensed arrangements.
Local assessment and additional controls
Construction, refurbishment, demolition or other intrusive work may disturb asbestos because the scope, building fabric, survey information or control arrangements are incomplete or unsuitable.
- Existing controls
- No project-specific information, surveys, contractor appointments, design risk information or work controls was provided. For each proposed project, record whether the work may disturb the building fabric, what survey information is available and what competent arrangements have been verified.
- Proposed controls
- Before commissioning or permitting work, determine whether asbestos may be disturbed, including unidentified, presumed or hidden materials. Arrange a relevant refurbishment or demolition survey where the work will disturb the building fabric. Pass survey findings and known or presumed asbestos information to designers, contractors and workers in sufficient time for planning. Confirm that the proposed controls match the work category and that the contractor is competent. Use a permit-to-work system or equivalent where appropriate. Ensure licensed asbestos work is undertaken by a licensed asbestos removal contractor where required, and verify any applicable notification, licensing and control requirements before work begins.
Local assessment and additional controls
Employees or supervised workers may disturb asbestos without adequate information, instruction, training, competence or supervision, exposing themselves or others.
- Existing controls
- No site-specific training records, role assessments, supervision arrangements or competence evidence was provided. Record which roles may disturb asbestos or supervise those who may do so, and verify the relevant training and competence evidence.
- Proposed controls
- Identify employees and supervised workers who may disturb asbestos or supervise such work. Provide the appropriate asbestos information, instruction and training for their roles, including relevant agency, catering, premises, maintenance, teaching and voluntary staff where applicable. Include arrangements for recognising suspect materials, checking information before work, stopping work, reporting damage and escalating uncertainty. Keep training and competence records current, define supervision requirements and prevent untrained or unauthorised persons from undertaking relevant work.
Local assessment and additional controls
Asbestos-containing materials may deteriorate or become damaged, increasing the potential for fibre release and exposure during normal occupation or subsequent work.
- Existing controls
- No inspection history, condition records, monitoring arrangements or evidence of remedial actions was provided. Record the inspection frequency, areas and materials covered, findings, responsible persons and outstanding actions.
- Proposed controls
- Arrange regular inspections of remaining asbestos-containing or presumed asbestos-containing materials to check their condition. Record inspection dates, locations, material condition, changes, access limitations, required actions, responsible persons and completion evidence. Escalate damage or deterioration through the asbestos management plan. Apply interim controls such as isolation, access restriction or specialist assessment where necessary. Review the management plan when inspection findings, building use, responsible persons, contact details or control arrangements change.
Local assessment and additional controls
Accidental damage, suspected asbestos discovery, fire, flood, structural failure or other emergency may cause disturbance or prevent normal access to asbestos information, exposing occupants, responders or contractors.
- Existing controls
- No site-specific emergency procedure, contact list, isolation arrangement, incident record or emergency-service information-sharing arrangement was provided. Record and verify the available response arrangements without assuming they are in place.
- Proposed controls
- Define and communicate actions for accidental damage or discovery of suspect material: stop work, prevent further disturbance, keep people away, isolate the area where practicable, report the incident and obtain competent advice before re-entry or clean-up. Provide emergency services with current information about the location and condition of known or suspected asbestos, including a means of access when the building cannot be entered normally. Maintain current emergency contacts and arrangements for assessment, decontamination or remedial work as applicable. Record the incident, decisions, actions, responsible persons and closure evidence, and review the asbestos management plan after significant events.
Local assessment and additional controls
Contractors, consultants, visitors, parents, carers or community users may undertake or facilitate activities that disturb asbestos without receiving relevant information or operating under suitable controls.
- Existing controls
- No site-specific contractor-management, procurement, induction, competency-checking or community-use evidence was provided. Record the arrangements used for each relevant third party and verify that asbestos information and control requirements are communicated before access or work.
- Proposed controls
- Include asbestos information and control requirements in procurement, appointment, briefing, induction and work authorisation arrangements. Provide relevant survey and register information to designers and workers before work starts, require contractors to confirm that the information is sufficient, and verify competence and any required licensing or notification arrangements. Coordinate school activities and third-party use so that areas containing asbestos are not disturbed or accessed inappropriately. Define responsibilities for monitoring, stopping work, reporting damage and managing changes to scope. Keep records of information issued, acknowledgements, permits, inspections, incidents and remedial actions.
Local assessment and additional controls