Competence at Every Level: A New Standard for Asbestos Training

Client: West Lancashire Borough Council
Services: Asbestos Training
Sector: Local Government
Location: Lancashire

Local authorities that employ staff and contractors who may enter buildings constructed before 2000 must, by law and in compliance with Regulation 10 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations (CAR) 2012, provide:

• Asbestos awareness training for anyone who might accidentally disturb asbestos
• Task-specific training for those doing planned work on materials that may contain asbestos
• Annual refresher training for those conducting licensable and non-licensable asbestos work

To meet its compliance obligations, West Lancashire Borough Council (WLBC) took highly proactive and responsible action by working with independent and impartial asbestos management specialists at iON Consultants to deliver a comprehensive, mandatory training programme on asbestos awareness. Rather than relying on off-the-shelf training methods, WLBC adopted a centrally governed, organisation-wide strategy to ensure that all relevant personnel were trained through a single, unified programme.

Having collaborated to complete a detailed audit of WLBC's requirements, WLBC’s Corporate Health and Safety Team coordinated a programme in collaboration with Cat Holmes, a Principal Consultant at iON Consultants. Together, they designed a novel, top-down compliance training model – a structured, visibility-driven approach that goes significantly beyond conventional methods. This model improved oversight by establishing consistent standards, outlining responsibilities for every role in the organisation, ensuring there were no gaps in asbestos management and creating a new standard for industry best practices.

Commenting on this approach, Cat said:

“An organisation cannot effectively mitigate the risks of asbestos or protect its staff, contractors and tenants – and, indeed, its reputation – without understanding how roles and responsibilities within its structure relate to asbestos management. It is equally important to ensure that everyone in the organisation, from the boardroom to the shop floor, has the necessary information to carry out their role safely and effectively. To ensure this knowledge is understood and acted upon correctly, it must be communicated in a way that is tailored to each level. Although implementing such an ambitious strategy initially requires careful resource management, role-specific training significantly improves retention, making the tailored approach far more effective in the long term than delivering generic modules to disengaged audiences.”

A Collaborative Approach to Building Practical Training

Cat worked closely with WLBC’s highly experienced and competent team to develop this comprehensive training programme. The in-house team played a pivotal role in designing and driving the project forward. They managed the entire delivery process, organised participant groups, defined roles and responsibilities, identified training needs, and set the tone for how the content should be pitched. They shared valuable organisational knowledge and collected constructive feedback, which helped refine the training content.

From the outset, the team emphasised the need for meaningful and practical training, rather than a generic, off-the-shelf solution. This clear direction shaped and differentiated the project, resulting in iON Consultants delivering seven bespoke training courses to over 100 delegates.

Creating a Confident, Engaged Learning Environment

It was agreed that the delivery style would be intentionally informal, helping delegates feel at ease and confident about asking and answering questions. Fun, memorable activities were built into the sessions to maximise participation. As a result, every delegate successfully passed the course. Cat received excellent feedback, with delegates noting that the training was enjoyable and genuinely valuable. Many commented that it generated meaningful discussion and motivated them to continuously improve in their roles.

A Unified Approach to Asbestos Management

WLBC’s Corporate Health and Safety Team reported that delegates across all cohorts benefited from the informal, activity-based approach. The executive management team was particularly impressed by the course content that was tailored specifically to their strategic responsibilities. Everyone at WLBC, including the leadership team, is now aligned with the same principles and expectations when it comes to asbestos management. This training has reinforced a culture of continuous improvement across the entire organisation.

Commenting on the outcome of the training, WLBC's Principal Corporate Health and Safety Officer said:

“We really appreciated the consideration and effort that Cat put into the content and delivery of the training programme. The feedback has been excellent, and the impact will be lasting. The CEO and the executive management team agree that it gives us a great platform to push on from. We look forward to continuing our valuable collaboration with Cat and iON Consultants.”

A Values Led Collaboration

Reflecting on the entire programme, Cat said:

"This project encapsulates iON’s values of people, safety, quality, customer experience, sustainability, and cost. It demonstrates how these values can have a tangible impact when teams work together towards a shared purpose. The training was specifically designed for WLBC stakeholders to help keep their teams and tenants safer in the future. We achieved a great deal through collaboration and clearly defined goals.

At iON, we invest time in thinking outside the box to deliver solutions that add real value to our clients. For me, this means I can adapt my training programmes to meet the needs of the delegate, which is quite unique in our industry. This particular project will be memorable, not only because of the way we tackled a complex challenge but also because of the incredibly positive engagement and feedback from all participants. People actually applauded at the end of the courses!

I would like to thank the Corporate Health and Safety Team, the Executive Team, and all the delegates for their warm welcome and enthusiastic engagement with this critically important training."

 

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