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Asbestos, once a popular construction material due to its fire-resistant and insulating properties, is now recognized as a major health hazard. Its presence in older infrastructure presents a significant risk, especially during maintenance, upgrades, or demolition. In the UK, the Highways Agency (HA)—now part of National Highways—has implemented a rigorous and strategic plan to manage asbestos risks in the national strategic road network. This blog explores in detail how the UK Highways Agency ensures compliance with asbestos regulations through its General Asbestos Management Plan (GAMP).
At the heart of the UK’s asbestos management strategy is Regulation 4 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006 (CAR 2006). This regulation outlines the Duty to Manage Asbestos, requiring organizations to:
The Highways Agency must ensure that its providers—contractors and service partners—comply with these legal requirements throughout the infrastructure lifecycle.
The General Asbestos Management Plan (GAMP) acts as an umbrella strategy guiding the Highways Agency’s overall asbestos management across its extensive asset base. It covers approximately:
GAMP lays out the methods, processes, and timelines for:
The HA adopted a 20-year implementation period, targeting full compliance by March 2025. The approach includes:
Each year, providers are responsible for preparing management plans covering at least 5% of their area. This ensures a gradual but systematic coverage of the entire strategic road network.
Asbestos can be present in a wide variety of structures and components, including:
Recognizing these risks allows the Agency and its partners to create targeted action plans and conduct safe interventions.
The production of AAPs is central to the GAMP process. These plans are generated for:
The AAPs are uploaded to national databases like SMIS, HAPMS, and TPMS to ensure accessibility and traceability across all teams. These plans must be updated post-surveys, post-maintenance, or as new information becomes available.
Major projects initiated by the Major Projects Directorate (MPD) require separate but complementary Scheme Asbestos Management Plans (SAMPs). These are initiated at the “Preferred Route Announcement” stage and updated through the construction phase. Upon completion, these plans are integrated into the HA’s main systems, ensuring continued compliance and data integrity.
The HA performs regular audits and compliance checks through the Performance Audit Function (PAF) to ensure that the plan is working. They evaluate:
Monthly reporting by providers is mandatory, documenting progress against targets and the status of AAP uploads.
Multiple stakeholders collaborate to fulfill the GAMP requirements:
Providers must cooperate not only internally but also with external stakeholders like emergency services, local authorities, Network Rail, and utility companies.
Certain assets fall outside the GAMP’s purview, including:
In these cases, the “Duty to Manage” lies with the asset owner or leaseholder, not the HA.
Providers must nominate trained AAP Owners who understand their legal responsibilities. While the HA previously offered training, it now mandates that each provider ensure its team is trained according to CAR 2006 Regulation 10. The HAAMT can share training materials upon request.
For internal staff, a structured training program is implemented, with attendance logs maintained and reviewed annually.
All AAPs must be recorded in PDF format and uploaded using standard templates from IAN 63/05. This allows for:
This recordkeeping system supports transparent compliance verification and easy access during audits or emergencies.
The UK Highways Agency’s General Asbestos Management Plan exemplifies how a public infrastructure authority can tackle complex health and safety issues with methodical planning and cross-organizational coordination. By implementing a multi-decade compliance strategy, incorporating digital tracking systems, and mandating stakeholder cooperation, the HA is effectively minimizing the risk of asbestos exposure across its vast and aging network.
As the March 2025 deadline approaches, the HA’s model may serve as a reference point for other infrastructure bodies aiming to align with stringent health and safety regulations.
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