Asbestos has been banned in the UK for more than 20 years. However, the reality is that the risk hasn’t gone anywhere. It remains the biggest occupational health threat in the construction industry, and it’s still claiming thousands of lives every year.
In 2023 alone, mesothelioma was responsible for 2,218 deaths. That doesn’t include the thousands more linked to lung cancer and asbestosis. Most of these individuals were exposed on the job. Often without knowing. Often years before symptoms appeared.
If an organisation does work in or around buildings built before 2000, this matters. And if you’re a part of the team responsible for managing the health and safety of any site, it’s your problem to manage.
The ongoing challenge
Asbestos-related diseases have a long latency period, usually between 20 and 50 years. That means today’s fatalities are linked to exposures that happened decades ago. But the danger hasn’t disappeared.
HSE data confirms that large volumes of asbestos remain in UK buildings, particularly those built before 2000. If it’s disturbed during routine work, such as drilling or cutting, the fibres released into the air can lead to life-limiting illnesses.
These incidents are preventable. Prevention depends on one thing: Control.
You need to know where the risk is, make sure people are informed, and have a record of how you’re managing it. That’s difficult to do reliably without a digital system to track what has been checked, what has been missed, and what has been done.
Legal obligations: What contractors need to know under UK asbestos law
Under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, there are clear requirements for how asbestos should be identified, assessed, and managed.
1. Conducting asbestos surveys
Before any refurbishment or demolition work begins, a suitable asbestos survey must be in place. This helps identify asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) and assess potential risks on-site.
2. Carrying out risk assessments
If ACMs are found or suspected, contractors are required to assess the risk of exposure and plan work accordingly. This could include restricting access to affected areas, applying strict control measures, and engaging licensed professionals for removal if needed.
3. Training and information sharing
Everyone involved in the project, including subcontractors should be informed of any asbestos risks and receive appropriate awareness training. This ensures that teams know how to work safely and when to stop work if conditions change.
4. Keeping records and monitoring compliance
Contractors should maintain clear records of all asbestos-related activity, from surveys to control actions taken. Ongoing site monitoring, audits, and compliance checks are also advised.
These are non-negotiables. But they’re not always easy to deliver at scale, especially when you’re managing multiple sites, rotating contractors, and limited time on the ground.
These are some of the operational challenges that COMET is designed to handle.
COMET: A smarter way to manage any risks in your organisation
Start by getting the basics right.
COMET helps site teams confirm that asbestos surveys are available, registers are up to date, and controls are in place. Everything is recorded digitally, so there’s no confusion about what was done or who did it.
You can also verify:
* That contractors have received asbestos awareness training
* That materials have been tested where necessary
* That risks have been assessed and mitigated
COMET offers real-time visibility and accountability with digital records that leave no room for ambiguity. Our Supply Chain module allows you to ensure that each supplier you work with has all the required documents, with you being able to request these from them easily in the platform. COMET for Audits and Inspections allows you to then inspect every part of the process, and ensure everything is ready for your audit.
2. Incident management
When something does go wrong, it needs to be reported quickly.
COMET enables teams to record incidents, near misses, and observations through our configurable workflows. Including any asbestos-related events directly from the site. No paper forms. No delayed reporting. Just accurate data that moves the right way to the right people in real time.
This ensures incidents are categorised, escalated, and followed through. Dashboards highlight trends and recurring issues do not get lost in inboxes.
See COMET for Incident Management
3. Investigations and RCA
You cannot improve what you do not understand.
Incidents involving asbestos require more than a surface-level review. COMET for Incident Investigations & Root Cause Analysis (RCA) helps your team ask the right questions and get to the root of the issue.
Was there a lapse in asbestos register updates? A failure in communication between the main contractor and subcontractor? Gaps in training? Inconsistent labelling?
COMET provides a guided structure to document findings, analyse contributing factors, and implement long-term fixes. The result is a clear, auditable trail that shows your organisation isn’t just reacting. It’s learning and improving.
Don’t let legacy hazards become today’s crisis
Asbestos is still the leading occupational cancer risk in construction. It’s also one of the most preventable if it’s managed properly. That means:
* Clear, repeatable audits
* Fast, accurate incident reporting
* Rigorous, structured investigations
COMET brings those pieces together into a system built for high-risk environments like yours. If you're still relying on spreadsheets, emails, and siloed systems to manage your high risk operations, it’s time for an upgrade.
Make risks visible. Make them trackable. Make them preventable and eliminate repeat failure.
