VOs will be looking at documents and asking set questions about a range of site documentation including the site diary, daily checks, smoke test, isolations, ASB5, plan of work, risk and COSHH assessments, ELCI, asbestos survey, DCU, NPUs, RPE, training, work at height, scaffold work, four‑stage clearance, analyst, personal monitoring etc…   

Graham Warren, ACAD Manager advised “HSE have advised that VOs will be using a checklist initially, though the list is a prompt and not exhaustive.  So in essence this will be very similar to sections of the in-depth ACAD Site Audit”. 

HSE has advised that the visits are not inspections: VOs will be introducing themselves as HSE staff but they will not be acting as asbestos inspectors.  VOs already visit other construction sites to collect information, including those where non‑licensed asbestos removal is taking place, and this is an extension of that work.

The information they gather will primarily be used to provide background evidence to support HSE monitoring of Licences, and it is expected that you should receive feedback detailing their findings and a record will also go on their Corporate Operational Information System (COIN).  However, members are encouraged to brief site supervisors to explain this pilot and ensure they capture any pertinent information in the same way they would for an HSE inspection visit, allowing Licence holders to close out any concerns swiftly. 

For this initial pilot, around 30 VOs will be operating on their own and in pairs throughout the UK, from January until the end of March 2023.  If you’d like to get ACAD to audit your site before the VOs, get in touch with us via training@acad.uk.com