Asbestos Awareness Course (Category A)
An online Category A asbestos awareness programme — completed online in just 1–2 hours for £14 per learner. Learn to recognise asbestos containing materials, understand the health risks, and know exactly what to do if you encounter or disturb asbestos at work.
CPD accredited and fully compliant with the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, this course meets the legal requirement for adequate information, instruction and training set out in Regulation 10.
- Level
- Category A awareness
- Format
- 100% online
- Duration
- 1–2 hours
- Modules
- 5 short modules
- Assessment
- Multiple-choice exam
- Pass mark
- 80% · free unlimited retakes
- Certificate
- Instant printable PDF
- Accreditation
- CPD certified
What is the Asbestos Awareness Course?
The Asbestos Awareness Course is an online Category A awareness programme designed to teach workers how to recognise asbestos containing materials, understand the serious health risks of exposure, and know what to do if they encounter or accidentally disturb asbestos during their work.
This CPD-accredited online course is suitable for any employee whose work could potentially expose them to asbestos — from construction and maintenance workers to electricians, plumbers, surveyors and facilities managers — and meets the legal requirement for adequate information, instruction and training set out in the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012.
Studied entirely online and at your own pace, you’ll complete it in around 1–2 hours and receive an instant, printable certificate the moment you pass. Asbestos Awareness Course is part of Online CPD Academy — a UK provider of accredited online training spanning health & safety, fire safety, first aid and more.
What you'll learn
By the end of the course, you’ll be able to:
- Understand why asbestos is still found in UK buildings today
- Recognise the serious health risks associated with exposure to asbestos fibres
- Identify asbestos containing materials (ACMs) during everyday work activities
- Understand your legal duties under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012
- Take the practical steps required if you find or accidentally disturb asbestos
- Apply the control measures that ensure workplace safety
- Follow the correct emergency procedures for incidents involving asbestos
The course combines clear explanations, real-world examples and short interactive checks — making sure you finish with the knowledge to work safely around asbestos containing materials and to know exactly what to do if you encounter them.
Practical, site-ready asbestos awareness training
This course walks you through the real situations workers face — spotting where asbestos is likely to be, recognising ACMs before you disturb them, and knowing when to stop work and seek help — so you stay safe and compliant from day one.
It’s all online and self-paced, with short, easy-to-follow modules you can complete in around 1–2 hours.
Course content
The course is divided into five short, interactive modules, each with quick reviews to reinforce learning and prepare you for the final assessment. Work through them at your own pace and revisit any topic as often as you like.
1Introduction to AsbestosWhat asbestos is and why it still matters.
What's covered
- What asbestos is and why it was used so widely
- Why it is still present in UK buildings today
- Why asbestos awareness matters for anyone working on buildings
- An overview of what the rest of the course covers
2Health Risks and Dangers of AsbestosHow exposure harms health.
What's covered
- The serious diseases asbestos exposure can cause
- How asbestos fibres damage the lungs
- Why there is no safe level of exposure
- The scale of asbestos-related ill health in the UK
3Asbestos Containing Materials (ACMs)Where asbestos is found in buildings.
What's covered
- The common asbestos containing materials found in buildings
- Where ACMs are typically located
- How to recognise materials likely to contain asbestos
- The difference between friable and non-friable materials
4The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012Your legal duties.
What's covered
- What the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 require
- The duty to manage asbestos in non-domestic premises
- What Regulation 10 says about information, instruction and training
- Employer and employee responsibilities
5Working Safely and Emergency ProceduresStaying safe and what to do in an incident.
What's covered
- The control measures that keep you and others safe
- What to do if you find or accidentally disturb asbestos
- The correct emergency procedures for an asbestos incident
- When to stop work and seek further guidance
Assessment & certificate
At the end of the course there is a short final assessment in multiple-choice format with a 80% pass mark. If you don’t pass first time, retakes are completely free of charge — there’s no limit on attempts and no extra cost.
Once you’ve passed, your CPD-accredited certificate is issued instantly and is available to download and print straight from your account — ready for site inductions, audits or your employer’s health and safety records. The certificate has no expiry date, though we recommend refreshing your asbestos awareness training every three years.
Who is this course for?
This course is suitable for any worker whose work activities could potentially expose them to asbestos containing materials, including:
- Construction workers and general tradespeople
- Electricians, plumbers and heating engineers
- Maintenance staff, caretakers and facilities managers
- Demolition, refurbishment and shop-fitting workers
- Painters, decorators, roofers and joiners
- Surveyors, supervisors and site managers
It works just as well as an induction course for new starters or as refresher training for experienced staff, and is a clear way for employers to demonstrate they’ve provided adequate training to anyone potentially exposed to asbestos.
Not sure if you need it? Our guide on who needs asbestos awareness training explains exactly who’s covered under Regulation 10.
Training your whole team
Buy any number of seats in one transaction, assign them as people join, and keep everything organised under one admin account.
One admin, unlimited learners
A single admin login lets you assign courses to colleagues in seconds — no need for everyone to buy separately.
Live progress tracking
See who’s completed, who’s in progress and who hasn’t started — so you can prompt the right people instead of chasing the whole site.
Automatic certificates
Every pass is logged against the learner’s name and downloadable for your audit file — no chasing paperwork.
Audit-ready records
Completion dates and certificate numbers stored centrally — exactly what HSE inspectors, insurers and ISO auditors want to see.
Add new starters anytime
Buy seats now and assign them the day someone joins — course credits never expire until they're used.
One invoice, bulk discount
A single payment with the bulk discount applied automatically. Need a proforma invoice or PO? Just get in touch.
How many do you need?
Enter your headcount and we’ll work out the licences, the bulk discount that applies and your total — then add them all to your basket in one click.
Add 5 more to reach 10 and unlock 10% off.
Bigger orders = bigger discounts
Get more value from your training by buying in bulk. Secure a lower rate today and use your courses whenever it suits — you can even mix and match different courses, and your discount applies across your entire order.
Discounts are applied automatically at checkout based on your total quantity. For 500+ seats or multi-site rollouts, ask us about custom pricing.
Why take this course?
Asbestos remains the single biggest cause of work-related deaths in the UK. This course equips workers and their employers to recognise the danger, meet their legal duties and stay safe on site.
Independently CPD accredited
You’ll sometimes see other providers carrying UKATA, IATP or RoSPA approved asbestos awareness training — but the regulations don’t mandate any single accrediting body. What the law requires is that workers receive adequate information, instruction and training. That’s exactly what this CPD-accredited course delivers: every topic required under Regulation 10 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012.
Your certificate, ready the moment you pass
The second you finish the final assessment, a printable PDF certificate is ready to download from your dashboard. CPD-accredited and recognised by employers across the UK for site inductions, audits and health & safety records.
- ✓High-resolution printable PDF certificate
- ✓Shows the course name, your name and completion date
- ✓CPD accredited, with no expiry date
Certified in three simple steps
No classrooms, no scheduled sessions, no waiting around. Buy your course, study online, and walk away with an accredited certificate.
Buy in seconds
Add the course to your basket and check out by card. Buying for a team? Use the calculator to work out how many you need and unlock bulk discounts automatically.
Learn at your own pace
Work through five short modules online. Your progress saves automatically, so you can pause and pick up where you left off — most learners finish in around 1–2 hours.
Pass and get certified instantly
Score 80% or more on the multiple-choice assessment and download your CPD-accredited certificate as a printable PDF straight away. Free unlimited retakes if you need them.
Asbestos awareness course FAQs
Is CPD accreditation enough? What about UKATA, IATP or RoSPA? +
Yes — CPD accreditation is enough. The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 don’t specify which body must accredit your training; they specify that workers must receive adequate information, instruction and training. UKATA approved asbestos awareness, IATP and RoSPA courses all aim to meet the same regulation. Our CPD-accredited course covers every topic required under regulation 10 and is fully compliant for health and safety purposes.
How long does the course take? +
Most learners complete the course in 1 to 2 hours. You can pause at any time and return when it suits you — your progress is saved automatically.
Is this a Category A asbestos awareness course? +
Yes. This is Category A asbestos awareness training. It is the right level of training for any worker whose work activities may potentially expose them to asbestos but who does not actively work on or remove asbestos containing materials. If your work involves disturbing or removing ACMs directly, you’ll need additional Category B (non-licensable) or Category C (licensable) training.
Who is this course for? +
Any employee, supervisor or manager whose work could bring them into contact with asbestos in a building — including tradespeople, maintenance staff, surveyors, demolition workers and facilities managers. Employers also use it to demonstrate they’ve provided adequate training to anyone potentially exposed.
What if I fail the assessment? +
Retakes are completely free of charge. There’s no limit on attempts and no extra cost.
Will I get a certificate? +
Yes. A CPD-accredited certificate is issued instantly on completion of the course and is downloadable from your account.
Does the certificate expire? +
The certificate doesn’t have an expiry date — once you’ve passed, it’s yours. We recommend refreshing your asbestos awareness training every 3 years, or sooner if the work, the people doing it, or the buildings you work in change significantly.
Does this course qualify me to work with or remove asbestos? +
No. This is asbestos awareness training only. It raises awareness so you can work safely around asbestos containing materials and recognise when to stop work and seek further guidance — but it does not authorise you to disturb, handle or remove asbestos. Removal work requires Category B or Category C training and, in many cases, a licensed contractor.
Get asbestos aware in 1–2 hours
Instant access, learn at your own pace, and download your CPD-accredited certificate the moment you pass.
Popular asbestos guides
What is asbestos? · What does asbestos look like? · The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 · Who needs asbestos awareness training