Protect yourself from asbestos

If you get asbestos dust in your lungs, you may be at risk of developing lung cancer or cancer of the pleura. When working with asbestos, it is therefore necessary to limit the generation of asbestos dust by as much as possible, and to ensure that asbestos dust is not spread to the surrounding environment.

Enclose the work site

When carrying out work involving asbestos where significant amounts of dust may be generated, you must enclose the work site using plastic so that the area is dust-tight. The working area must also be mechanically ventilated to create negative pressure, and access to the area must be via an airlock.

Use personal protective equipment and wash thoroughly

You must also use suitable protective equipment such as a protective suit, respiratory protective equipment (RPE), gloves and suitable footwear. The employer is responsible for providing personal protective equipment.

Before taking breaks and going home, it is important that you wash. If the work involves the demolition of asbestos, you must shower before leaving the work site. You must also thoroughly clean the work site of asbestos dust before completing the work.

Handle asbestos waste properly

You must store and dispose of the waste produced by your work in sealed, air-tight packaging labelled to indicate that it contains asbestos. Dust from asbestos waste must be dampened. Waste must be disposed of in accordance with the rules set out in the environmental legislation. Ask the municipality where and how to dispose of the waste.

High-pressure cleaning of asbestos is prohibited

It is prohibited to high-pressure clean materials containing asbestos. This means that you may not clean roofs containing asbestos by high-pressure cleaning them.

Important information for employers

Find out if there is asbestos in the building

Before starting work in a building constructed before 1990, you must ensure that a preliminary survey is carried out to determine whether there is asbestos in the building. This applies to materials such as tile adhesive, floor putty, vinyl floors, pipe insulation, ceiling tiles, roof and facade cladding.

Your company must be authorised to demolish asbestos

The demolition of materials containing asbestos can only be carried out by companies authorised for this purpose by the Danish Business Authority (Erhvervsstyrelsen).

You can read more about authorisation on the authority’s website, and you can also access a list of authorised companies:

Authorisation

Authorisation Register (Danish)

Anyone who work with asbestos must have special training. The exact training course will depend on the type of asbestos-related work to be carried out.

Report the work to Arbejdstilsynet

Before starting work, you must report the work to the Danish Working Environment Authority (Arbejdstilsynet):

Report asbestos work

Important information for employees

Authorisation is required in order to demolish asbestos

The demolition of materials containing asbestos can only be carried out by companies authorised for this purpose by the Danish Business Authority (Erhvervsstyrelsen).

You can check whether your employer is authorised on the website of the Danish Business Authority:

Authorisation Register (Danish)

You need special training to work with asbestos

If you are going to work with asbestos, you must complete special training. The exact training course will depend on the type of asbestos-related work you will be carrying out.

If your qualifications stem from a training programme that you have completed abroad, you must have your qualifications recognised by Arbejdstilsynet.

Recognition of professional qualifications