“Safety isn’t accidental — it’s managed.”
Asbestos may be a material of the past, but managing its legacy is a present-day responsibility. Across the UK’s Strategic Road Network, asbestos risk is controlled through the General Asbestos Management Plan (GAMP) led by National Highways (formerly the Highways Agency).
At the centre of this system are Service Providers — the operational teams ensuring asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) are identified, recorded, assessed, and controlled in line with the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012.
The General Asbestos Management Plan (GAMP) is a national framework guiding how ACMs are managed across highways, bridges, culverts, tunnels, maintenance depots, and roadside technology assets.
It ensures compliance with Regulation 4 (“Duty to Manage”) under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 by requiring structured surveys, risk assessments, documentation, and asset-specific management plans.
GAMP transforms legal duty into operational procedure.
Under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, duty holders must:
Identify ACM locations
Assess associated risks
Implement appropriate management measures
Maintain and regularly review management plans
GAMP translates these statutory duties into consistent, network-wide systems that can be applied across thousands of infrastructure assets managed by National Highways.
Service Providers include:
Managing Agent Contractors
Major Projects Contractors
Design & Build Contractors
Technology maintenance providers
Specialist asbestos consultants and subcontractors
They work directly on infrastructure assets, turning national policy into on-the-ground UK Highway Asbestos Management practices.
Service Providers prepare Asbestos Action Plans (AAPs) for defined network sections and asset groups.
These plans:
Document known or suspected ACMs
Define inspection and monitoring schedules
Prioritise high-risk materials
Set management, encapsulation, or removal strategies
AAPs form the operational backbone of General Asbestos Management Plan (GAMP) delivery.
Service Providers undertake:
Management Surveys for routine monitoring of ACM condition
Refurbishment and Demolition Surveys prior to intrusive works
Priority is given to pre-2000 infrastructure, high-risk environments such as tunnels and enclosed structures, and planned construction or upgrade sites.
No intrusive work proceeds without checks aligned with Asbestos Risk Mitigation UK requirements.
AAPs and survey outputs must:
Use approved templates and structured formats
Be uploaded to official asset management databases
Remain accessible for audit and compliance verification
Strong digital documentation strengthens Highway Infrastructure Safety Governance and reduces the likelihood of accidental disturbance.
Service Providers share asbestos information with:
Utility companies
Emergency services
Local authorities
Project teams and contractors
This coordination ensures that anyone working near assets understands potential ACM risks before commencing work. Information sharing prevents exposure and reinforces collaborative risk control.
Service Providers participate in:
Monthly compliance reporting
Audit reviews
Performance tracking exercises
Structured reporting ensures transparency and continuous improvement across the Strategic Road Network under the oversight of National Highways.
Service Providers manage asbestos risks across:
Thousands of kilometres of highways
Bridges and culverts
Tunnels
Maintenance depots and service buildings
Electrical and communications equipment
Assets constructed before 2000 are treated as potentially asbestos-containing unless verified otherwise — a precautionary principle central to UK Highway Asbestos Management.
Providers must:
Nominate trained AAP Owners
Deliver asbestos awareness training
Maintain competency and certification records
Compliance with Regulation 10 requirements under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 is essential for safe operations.
A trained workforce remains the first line of defence against accidental exposure.
A phased implementation programme aims for full network asbestos management coverage by 2025, including:
Annual progress milestones
Risk-based prioritisation
Focus on older and high-intervention infrastructure
This structured approach balances operational practicality with statutory obligations under the General Asbestos Management Plan (GAMP).
While not designed specifically for asbestos detection, digital asset intelligence platforms such as RoadVision AI improve infrastructure condition visibility.
By enhancing predictive maintenance planning and reducing unexpected failures, such systems indirectly reduce the risk of unplanned intrusive works that could disturb ACMs. Better planning leads to safer intervention.
Service Providers are the operational backbone of the UK’s asbestos management framework. Through surveys, structured planning, digital documentation, training, and reporting, they ensure the legacy presence of asbestos within transport infrastructure is controlled responsibly and transparently under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012.
In infrastructure safety, risk is not eliminated by chance it is managed through discipline, systems, collaboration, and accountability.
Because safety isn’t accidental it’s managed.
The Autonomous Road Engineer
AI-powered road condition monitoring, asset management, & infrastructure intelligence helping agencies move from reactive maintenance to predictive road management.
