As an employer, as soon as there is a possibility that employees may come into contact with asbestos, you must have a risk analysis carried out. If asbestos is effectively identified, you are required to draw up a management programme with clear preventive measures to keep exposure as low as possible.

  • Before you can decide on measures or management, you first need to know exactly where the risk is located. A proper analysis therefore identifies which areas of the building may contain asbestos. It also examines which activities could disturb that asbestos and what the potential exposure is for employees working there. Only once these risks have been clearly identified can you make well-informed decisions about the preventive steps that are needed.

  • As soon as asbestos is effectively identified, as an employer you are required to draw up a management programme. This is not a mere formality, but an essential document that allows you to monitor and control the risks present. In this programme, you specify which preventive measures you take, how you safely manage or, if necessary, remove the asbestos, and who within your organisation is responsible for overseeing it.

    The management programme must be up-to-date and practical, not something that simply sits in a folder. You must be able to present it during an inspection, and the document must reflect the reality on the work floor.

    In short, a good management programme helps you not only to identify asbestos risks, but also to address them in a structured and effective way.

  • Absolutely. As an employer—not as an owner or landlord—you must have an asbestos inventory for every building where employees are active. You can either:

    • Prepare it yourself together with your prevention adviser, or

    • Have it carried out by an expert from a certified asbestos laboratory.

    The inventory must be freely accessible to your own employees as well as to external parties performing work in the building. This way, everyone knows when there is a risk of exposure.

  • You must immediately take preventive measures, such as securing the asbestos, temporarily encapsulating it, or sealing off the area. You cannot leave the risk unaddressed.

  • The regional external directorates of the Workplace Wellbeing Inspectorate carry out inspections. They can check whether your inventory, management programme, and safety measures are in order.

    In addition to federal legislation, there are extra obligations specific to each region. These can include additional reporting requirements or specific procedures for removal or documentation.