Brentwood Borough Council were subject to a Health and Safety Executive (HSE) review into some compliance areas in 2019.

As part of this review, we were found to be effectively managing the risk across all areas of compliance but had areas requiring improvement in relation to Asbestos Management. We were working to an asbestos Standard but did not have an asbestos policy in place.

The Housing Department began working alongside the HSE to build upon our compliance, taking advice and guidance from them on where improvements could be made to our compliance management.

One main area of focus was the request to implement an Asbestos Policy for Asbestos Management which is available to the whole housing department.

We had been managing asbestos via a prior waiver using two Basildon Council asbestos contractors. In September 2020 we procured two new asbestos contractors to work in partnership with Brentwood Council, to continue from the existing asbestos surveys and re-inspections of all our housing stock to help populate our Keystone Asbestos database which is a regulatory requirement under Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012.

It was agreed that this standard would become the baseline for our management to develop and produce a full asbestos policy that would being taken to a future appropriate committee following completion.

A motion was MOVED by Cllr Mrs Pearson and SECONDED by Cllr Hossack.

to agree the recommendations in the report.

Following a discussion a vote was taken by a show of hands and it was

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY that:

Members were asked to:

R1. To approve the Asbestos Policy

Reasons for Recommendation

To ensure that the Housing Department has documentation to support the delivery of their Asbestos Management responsibilities, processes, and procedures and to comply with Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012.