Introduction to Health and Safety at Work

17.33.11
Duties of persons at work – 
Regulation 12
Every person must, where working under the control 
of another person, report to that person any activity 
or defect relating to work at height which they know is 
likely to endanger themselves or others.
Work equipment must be used in accordance with 
training and instructions.
17.33.12 References
Work at Height Regulations 2005, SI 2005/735, The 
Stationery Offi ce
The Work at Height Regulations 2005:A brief guide, 
INDG401, 2005 HSE Books
ISBN 0 7176 2976 7
A head for heights Guidance for working at height in 
construction. Video 2003 HSE Books
ISBN 0-7176-2862-0
Safe use of ladders and stepladders. An employers’ 
guide INDG402 2005 HSE Books
ISBN 0-7176-6105-9
Height safe Essential health and safety information for 
people who work at height. HSE’s website; www.hse.
gov.uk

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Introduction to Health and Safety at Work
398
High Designs Design of safe access and places for work 
at height during maintenance operations 1988 HSE 
Books
ISBN 0-7176-1925-7
General access scaffolds and ladders CIS49 1997 HSE 
Books
Working on Roofs INDG 284 1999 HSE Books
Health and Safety in Roof Work HSG 33 1998 HSE 
Books
ISBN 0-7176-1425-5
17.34 
Other relevant regulations in brief
There are a number of other Regulations which do not 
form part of the NEBOSH General Certifi cate syllabus. 
Nevertheless, they are important to a wider understand-
ing of health and safety legislation. Very brief summaries 
are covered here.
17.34.1 Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006
The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006 came into 
force on 13 November 2006 (Asbestos Regulations – SI 
2006/2739).
These Regulations bring together the three previous 
sets of Regulations covering the prohibition of asbestos, 
the control of asbestos at work and asbestos licensing.
The Regulations prohibit the importation, supply 
and use of all forms of asbestos. They continue the ban 
introduced for blue and brown asbestos 1985 and for 
white asbestos in 1999. They also continue the ban the 
secondhand use of asbestos products such as asbestos 
cement sheets and asbestos boards and tiles; including 
panels which have been covered with paint or textured 
plaster containing asbestos.
The ban applies to new use of asbestos. If existing 
asbestos containing materials are in good condition, 
they may be left in place, their condition monitored and 
managed to ensure they are not disturbed.
The Asbestos Regulations also include the ‘duty to 
manage asbestos’ in non-domestic premises. Guidance 
on the duty to manage asbestos can be found in the 
‘Approved Code of Practice The Management of 
Asbestos in Non-Domestic Premises’, L127, ISBN 0 7176 
6209 8 and on the duty to manage area of this website.
The Regulations require mandatory training for 
anyone liable to be exposed to asbestos fi bres at work 
(see Regulation 10). This includes maintenance workers 
and others who may come into contact with or who may 
disturb asbestos (e.g. cable installers) as well as those 
involved in asbestos removal work.
When work with asbestos or which may disturb 
asbestos is being carried out, the Asbestos Regulations 
require employers and the self-employed to prevent 
exposure to asbestos fi bres. Where this is not reason-
ably practicable, they must make sure that exposure is 
kept as low as reasonably practicable by measures other 
than the use of respiratory protective equipment. The 
spread of asbestos must be prevented. The Regulations 
specify the work methods and controls that should be 
used to prevent exposure and spread.
Worker exposure must be below the airborne 
exposure limit (Control Limit). The Asbestos Regulations 
have a single Control Limit for all types of asbestos of 
0.1 fi bres per cm
3
. A Control Limit is a maximum concen-
tration of asbestos fi bres in the air (averaged over any 
continuous 4 hour period) that must not be exceeded.
In addition, short term exposures must be strictly 
controlled and worker exposure should not exceed 0.6 
fi bres per cm
3
of air averaged over any continuous 10 
minute period using respiratory protective equipment 
if exposure cannot be reduced suffi ciently using other 
means.
Respiratory protective equipment is an important