The Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI), in partnership with the training industry, is organising free training to help local tradespeople protect themselves from deadly asbestos.

The new scheme, 'Asbestos Training Pledge NI', will run for 12 weeks from 7 January to 29 March 2013.

In the last five years there have been more than 300 deaths in Northern Ireland due to past exposures to asbestos and this number is expected to rise.

If you are a tradesman, building contractor or construction worker, you are likely to come across asbestos during the course of your work. There is still a lot of asbestos material in buildings – anywhere built or refurbished before the year 2000 is likely to contain asbestos. Disturbing asbestos could be fatal.

Common places where asbestos materials are found include:

•ceiling tiles

•coating on ceilings, walls and stairwells (textured coatings)

•sprayed coating on ducts, pipes and some ceilings

•boards around radiators, windows, fireplaces, building columns, pillars

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•inside fire doors

•soffit boards

•insulation on pipes

•sealants on pipe joints, gaskets

•ropes and yarns

•fuse boxes

•electrical switchgear

•water tanks

•cement products - roof sheets, down pipes

If you have responsibility for the maintenance and repair of non-domestic premises, then you are the ‘duty holder’ and have a legal duty to manage the risk from asbestos. The ‘duty holder’ is broadly defined as the owner or manager of commercial buildings, including factories, warehouses, shops and offices.

As the 'duty holder' you must inform tradesmen if asbestos is present in any building they are working on. Also, you must make sure you have an asbestos register, and to make it available on request. HSENI continues to encourage tradesmen to ask the 'duty holder' to see the asbestos register before they start work.

Launching the Asbestos Training Pledge NI initiative, HSENI's Head of Workplace Health, Cyril Anderson said:

"By raising awareness of the dangers of asbestos and by promoting measures to help reduce its harmful effects, we can help protect the health of our workforce, and save lives.

"Asbestos Training Pledge NI offers a great opportunity to learn more about the dangers from asbestos and follows on from HSENI's 'Hidden Killer' and 'Duty to Manage' awareness campaigns.

"I'd encourage everyone who through their work may come into contact with asbestos to take advantage of this free training and to book a place today."

Training providers have pledged 1,000 places that are available via e-learning or classroom based courses. There is no charge for the training but as places are limited they will be offered on a first come first served basis.

For more info on the scheme and to find out how to sign up for courses please visit www.hseni.gov.uk/asbestos/pledgeni or call 0800 0320 121.