National Asbestos Taskforce (April 2026)

The National Asbestos Taskforce emerged in April 2026 as a coalition of organisations from the asbestos sector, trade unions, charities and campaigning groups. The Society of Radiographers' May 2026 announcement describes it as independent of government and identifies its campaign for a different national approach to asbestos management. Its members include organisations with different roles and viewpoints, which explains why its work centres on public policy rather than enforcement or individual site decisions.

That distinction matters. The Taskforce can publish evidence, engage ministers and argue for reform, but it cannot change the legal category of a job, issue a licence or replace HSE guidance. For the legal framework that applies now, see UK asbestos regulations explained.

The Taskforce's published case is for a government-mandated, phased programme to remove asbestos from UK buildings, with early attention on higher-risk or damaged material. It also supports a national asbestos register. These are policy proposals. The British Safety Council's launch coverage and the Society of Radiographers' account describe the programme as an argument for change, rather than a rule already imposed on dutyholders.

A register and a removal programme address different questions. A register would aim to record where asbestos is and its condition; a phased programme would set a policy route for deciding when removal should happen. Neither proposal means that every asbestos-containing material must be removed now. HSE's current approach still requires risk to be assessed and managed under the existing regulations.

The Taskforce launched after HSE's separate consultation on legislative and guidance proposals for the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012. That consultation closed on 9 January 2026. Its official page says HSE will consider responses, may refine proposals, and will publish a response before any regulatory changes come into force; as checked on 24 September 2026, the page is marked closed and does not display a published response summary. The proposals covered four-stage-clearance independence, survey standards and clarification of notifiable non-licensed work, not the Taskforce's whole removal programme. Read HSE's consultation record.

The current revised text of Regulation 4 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 continues to set the duty to manage asbestos in non-domestic premises. HSE's May 2026 policy position on the asbestos control limit also retained the existing Great Britain control limit and said there was no clear evidence that lowering it in law would improve health outcomes in the current GB framework. That policy position is separate from the Taskforce's removal proposals and does not turn them into law.

For a building owner, landlord or organisation with responsibility for maintenance or repair of non-domestic premises, the present starting point is Regulation 4. It requires a suitable and sufficient assessment of whether asbestos is, or is liable to be, present; a written plan where it is; monitoring; and information for people liable to disturb it. HSE explains that the duty also covers common parts of multi-occupancy domestic premises, such as purpose-built flats. See our guide to the duty to manage asbestos for the role and limits of that duty.

The Taskforce does not alter those actions. A clear current record, a management plan that reflects changes to the building, and controlled decisions about work are sound compliance steps under existing law. They also give a dutyholder better information if government policy changes later. HSE's duty-to-manage overview remains the primary practical source for the current process.

A private homeowner does not usually hold the Regulation 4 duty to manage that applies to non-domestic premises and shared common parts. That does not make suspected asbestos safe to disturb. Before refurbishment or repair work, the material and the proposed work need competent consideration; the licensed, non-licensed and notifiable work guide explains why the answer depends on the job rather than a simple material label.

Diamond Asbestos Services applies the current legal work category to the work in front of it rather than treating the Taskforce's proposals as an instruction to remove material. Diamond handles non-licensed asbestos work and, where samples are tested, uses UKAS-accredited laboratory analysis. Work involving asbestos insulation board, sprayed coatings, pipe lagging or damaged higher-risk material may require an HSE-licensed contractor, so Diamond refers licensable work to an HSE-licensed contractor; the category depends on the material, condition and work method. UKAS explains the laboratory accreditation framework for asbestos testing.

This operating boundary is set out openly in Diamond's credentials and service scope. It helps keep a policy article in its proper place: current safety and legal decisions need current, material-specific information.

The most useful developments to track are an HSE publication responding to the 2025–26 consultation, any proposed amendment to the regulations or revised HSE guidance, and specific Government decisions on a register or a phased removal programme. Those events carry different weight: only a legal change or applicable official guidance changes compliance expectations.

Until then, the Taskforce signals sustained pressure for more coordinated asbestos policy, especially around records and long-term removal planning. It does not replace the immediate responsibility to manage risk under the rules that already apply. This page should be refreshed when HSE publishes a consultation response or when the Taskforce's policy asks become a formal Government proposal.