The safety‑landscape update
The IOSH survey found that almost 50% of construction workers admitted to taking shortcuts during work at height. Around one in five said they hadn’t received any training for working at height safely, and one in seven believed their employer expected them to ignore safety issues in order to finish tasks quickly.
At the same time, the HSE has launched a consultation proposing three key enhancements to the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012: improving independence in the four‑stage clearance process, raising survey standards, and clarifying what constitutes Notifiable Non‑Licensed Work (NNLW).
Why this matters for your business
For firms operating in construction and allied industries, these developments are critical:
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Working at height remains a major risk. The data shows that shortcuts are still happening. That suggests the need for not only technical controls (edge protection, scaffolding, harnesses) but also strong training, supervision and culture.
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Asbestos is far from ‘just the past’. The consultation reinforces that duty‑holders must properly manage asbestos risks during refurbishment, demolition, and maintenance. The proposals may lead to tighter requirements, meaning your systems must already be robust.
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Training & competence are key. With the height‑risk and asbestos‑risk both under greater scrutiny, organisations must ensure that their workforce is competently trained, assessed, and their competence verified.
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Consultancy and audit value rise. When you can show evidence of robust training, competence, system‑audit and review, you stand in a much stronger position to show compliance, defend decisions and improve outcomes.
How All Star Safety‑Ltd can support you
At All Star Safety Ltd we are well placed to help you address both these challenges and opportunities:
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Training: We deliver focused modules on safe working at height — including fall‑prevention, edge protection and behavioural safety — and structured training on asbestos awareness, survey‑understanding and clearance processes.
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NVQ Services: Our assessors support your workforce to demonstrate competence across height‑works, supervision, asbestos‑management tasks and allied safety activities. This means real, verifiable evidence of capability, not just attendance.
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Safety Consultancy: We can audit your working‑at‑height systems (including planning, edge control, rescue arrangements), review your asbestos‑management arrangements (survey quality, clearance independence, NNLW clarity) and provide actionable improvement plans for your business.
If you’d like to discuss how we can support your training, NVQ assessment or safety consultancy arrangements around working at height and asbestos‑risk management, please call 0330 133 0402 or 01473 561 402.