Best Practice Guidance for Handling Asbestos

18 Mar 2026

Asbestos is still a serious problem in Ireland. It's not being used in new housing today, but it's sitting in thousands of older buildings - in roofs, floor tiles, pipe lagging, insulation and cement sheets. The problems start when anyone starts drilling, cutting or demolishing the material.

Disturbed asbestos releases fibres you can't see. Breathe them in, and they stay there permanently, potentially leading to mesothelioma and asbestosis later on in life. 

In 2023, the EPA published best practice guidance covering how the material should be handled during asbestos removal and disposal.

The Key Principles of Safe Asbestos Handling

The work of handling asbestos safely starts before anyone sets foot on site. A trained professional needs to inspect the building, identify what's there and assess its condition. Intact materials aren't always an immediate threat, but they still need logging and monitoring. 

• What causes problems is material that's already deteriorating or gets disturbed before anyone realises what it is. Once asbestos is confirmed, only competent, trained personnel should go near it.

• Risk Assessment and Identification - A visual check often isn't enough. Samples may need to go to a lab before you can confirm what you're dealing with and how to handle it. Skipping that step is how people get hurt.

• Controlled Handling and Removal - Keeping fibres out of the air is the whole point. Before the experts get to work, the area gets sealed off. Every shortcut taken here increases the risk to everyone nearby.

• Training and Awareness - People working in older buildings need to know what asbestos looks like, what to do if they find it, and what procedures apply to their role. Assuming someone else has it covered isn't good enough.

Helping Irish Businesses to Manage Asbestos Safely Since 2001

Despite the ban in the late 1990s, asbestos remains in schools, offices, factories and homes built beforehand across Ireland. Managing it properly is the only realistic option, and that means following the guidance rather than working around it.

At OHSS, we’ve been protecting Irish businesses against asbestos exposure since 2001. Whether you need help with surveys, risk assessments, or compliance support, call us on (01) 6905907 or visit our website.

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