Asbestech Limited

Asbestech complete the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge in aid of The Lighthouse Charity

On Saturday 27th April a team from Asbestech took part in the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge in aid of The Lighthouse Charity. The challenge is to complete the 24½ mile walk, ascending 1,585 metres over the mountains of Whernside, Ingleborough and Pen-y-ghent within 12 hours. It was definitely a tough day but a great achievement for all those that took part. Mental Health Awareness week in 2024 is from 13 to 19 May and the theme this year is ‘Movement: moving for our mental health,’ with the aim being to move your way by finding something that moves your body and mind. Therefore undertaking this challenge in aid of the Lighthouse Trust could not have been more appropriate. Alessia Gilbey, Contracts Manager for Asbestech, organised the event for the group. Alessia said, “I wanted to organise an event that would not only act as a team bonding exercise but would also create a talking point for mental health and raise some money for a great cause.”
The team would like to thank all those that sponsored them and they are delighted that they raised over £5,000 for the Lighthouse Charity. The Lighthouse Charity is dedicated to the emotional, physical and financial wellbeing of construction workers and their families. They provide a range of free pro-active resources to support the industry. Their free and confidential 24/7 Helpline and text HARDHAT service offers a range of information, guidance and support. These services are complemented by their free Self Support App. They receive no public funding so rely on the industry to ‘support their own.’ Every penny raised helps make a difference to a construction worker in need and Asbestech is delighted to support such a worthwhile charity.

For more info on Lighthouse please click the link: https://www.lighthouseclub.org/

Presentation to our prize draw winner

It gave us great pleasure to recently present a hamper full of goodies to one of our valued customers. As part of our commitment to providing the very best experience possible we always ask for feedback from our customers. We were delighted that Hannah took the time to scan the QR code on the postcard we left and provide feedback on our team and our service. As a thank you, all those that give us feedback are automatically entered into a prize draw for a chance to win a hamper and Hannah was the lucky winner of our December 2023 prize. Our Natasha (above left) was delighted to be joined by a representative from PILON for the hamper presentation. We work in partnership with PILON on planned maintenance programmes, which saw us working together in Hannah’s property. And we are equally pleased to report that the feedback Hannah gave rated all aspects of our service provision as excellent.

A team from Asbestech are completing the Yorkshire 3 Peaks Challenge on 27th April 2024 to support Lighthouse, the Construction Mental Health Support Charity.
If you would like to donate to this fantastic cause, please click here: https://shorturl.at/fjwJ3

Asbestech Director Elected as Incoming Chairman to the ARCA Governing Council

During the ARCA Governing Council meeting in October 2023, serving Council member and Asbestech Operations Director Phillip Neville was elected as the next Chairman of the Governing Council. Phillip will take on the Chairman’s role when the current Chairman, Andrew Jackson’s, term in office comes to an end. This transition will take place in October 2024 and until then Phillip will hold the Vice-Chairmanship of the Council whilst continuing to contribute to the regular board meetings. He will also continue his role as Chairman of the ARCA Training and Competence Committee, which oversees the strategies used for development of both existing and new talent in our industry.

“I’m deeply honoured by the confidence placed in me by the Council,” Phil said in a statement following the vote. “Our industry is at a pivotal moment following the recent turmoil caused by Brexit, Covid and the problems associated with RAAC, and we have the opportunity to help shape how our sector supports the wider participants in the built environment.”

ARCA is the main trade body in our industry and has a broad influence on licensed asbestos removal within the UK. The Association provides training, guidance, support, and leadership to over 300 licensed contracting members. The Governing Council members are responsible for promoting good practice and maintaining a high level of professionalism in the industry. Phil was elected as a member of the Governing Council by the ARCA membership in 2022 after serving on the Training and Competence Committee for the previous 18 months and was re-elected to serve a second term on the Governing Council in 2023.

Supervisor of the Year Award – Again!

Asbestech are proud to reveal that Lee Jackson has been announced by ARCA as one of the Supervisor of the Year award winners. This is the second year running an Asbestech Supervisor has gained this enviable accolade!

Steve Sadley, ARCA Chief Executive, named Lee as one of only two winners this year of this prestigious award at the recent ARCA AGM, held at Cornhill in London where our Operations Director Phil Neville received the award on Lee’s behalf from Samantha Lord of the HSE. The award was granted for Lee completing his NVQ assessments with no revisits or queries as well as gaining a perfect score on his Supervisor Refresher Training with ARCA.

Phil said, “Lee has been with Asbestech a long time, and over the years we have been continually impressed by his knowledge of our craft. We are proud of what Lee has achieved this year and I’m also proud of our Training Department who work hard to support all our team.”

Accreditation Success

Asbestech is delighted to announce that we are now Cyber Essentials certified.

Cyber Essentials is a government backed scheme and the accreditation demonstrates to our customers and suppliers Asbestech’s commitment to cyber security and that our IT is secure against common online security threats. Cyber-attacks come in many shapes and sizes, but the vast majority are very basic in nature, carried out by relatively unskilled individuals. Having Cyber Essentials gives Asbestech peace of mind that our operating systems are protected against the vast majority of cyber-attacks and through the annual assessment process that we continue to adopt good practices in information security.

New kits for all our girls are on the way !!
Thank you
Asbestech Limited

World Mental Health Day
The 10th of October is World Mental Health Day. It’s a day to raise awareness of and to talk about mental health, how we need to look after it and to remember how important it is to get help if you are struggling.

Talking about mental health is important and has the bonus that it is good for your mental health too, but starting a conversation isn’t always easy. Whether you would like to talk to someone about how you are feeling, or check-in with someone you care about we thought some tips might be useful:

When you are ready to talk about your mental health:

Choose someone you trust to talk to
Think about the best place to talk
Prepare yourself for their reaction
If you want to talk to someone about their mental health:

Find a good space to talk without distractions
Listen and ask questions
Ask how you can help
If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health, remember that you are not alone, and that there are places you can go to get help. Asbestech has trained Mental Health First Aiders that are always available to any member of the team to talk and provide help.

The Lighthouse Construction Charity also provides support to Construction workers and their families. This is the only charity that is 100% dedicated to providing emotional, physical and financial well-being support to the construction industry workforce. A crucial element of the charities strategy is to provide free and easy access to a wide range of pro-active resources to support the wellbeing of the construction industry workforce. To access support from the Charity please click here.

Asbestech Supports Enterprise Day at the PRIDE Academy

Asbestech were delighted to support Enterprise Day at the PRIDE Academy.

The PRIDE Academy, based in West London, is a secondary school for students with social, emotional and mental health needs. Asbestech were thrilled to sponsor this event which focused on teaching the students business skills and preparing them to use their critical thinking.

The aim of the event was for the students to work in teams over a number of lessons and use skills that businesses would require to design a paintballing company. This included making a slogan and designing the whole paintballing site to looking at start-up costs, they needed to consider target markets and explored where, and how, they would advertise, including designing leaflets and posters. With the final task being to pitch their company to a panel of staff, including the school Principal and senior members of the Trust. The prize for the winning team was a trip to Paintballing and because of the excellent hard work that was put in, the prize was extended to include more than one team.

This was the first Enterprise Day at the PRIDE Academy and wow what a success. Well done to all the staff and students involved in the event!

Universal Success!

Asbestech is pleased to announce that we have built on our success in the Further Education market with two recent significant framework wins, having been successful in our framework bids for two Universities this summer.

The University of Bath has appointed Asbestech to a three-year framework with the option to extend. The framework covers asbestos removal and abatement and associated works and emergency attendances across their estate. The prestigious University, awarded University of the Year in The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2023, is centred on Claverton Down, atop a hill on the east side of Bath, where the current University campus was created with the first building completed in 1965.

The Manchester Metropolitan University has also appointed Asbestech to a three-year framework with an option to extend and similarly covers asbestos removal and abatement and associated works. Like most of our frameworks, we are also providing emergency attendances when required. Originally founded as the Manchester Mechanics Institute in 1824, the University has continued its journey of growth and development for two centuries and has big plans for the future that Asbestech are in a great position to help with.

Within both frameworks Asbestech will provide exceptional service levels allied with our total commitment to health and safety performance. Through our work we will be able to provide employment opportunities for local people, adding to the skills legacy that we strive to grow wherever we operate.

Managing Director of Asbestech, Daniel Chalkley, said, “These two significant wins add to our growing portfolio of Higher Education clients. Our ever-increasing level of expertise in delivering tailored solutions which account for the specific challenges in this sector help us to provide successful and safe projects for our many clients.

Asbestech are now recruiting 👷🏻‍♂️

We’re Hiring!

Asbestech are currently recruiting for qualified, and experienced, Asbestos Removal Supervisors and Operatives to join our professional, friendly company committed to staff development and with potential for career progression.

Immediate Starts available.

Applicants must have up to date training and medical certs and a good customer facing attitude and ideally hold a full driving license.

Rates of pay based on experience.

To apply to become part of the Asbestech team, please send an email to [email protected] or by calling 0845 680 0055 or Direct Message.

Asbestech Win Again!

Congratulations are due once again to our Gary McComb (Technical Director), Shane Wright (Senior Site Manager) and our team that worked on the Reuben College Project at the University of Oxford, winning at the Morgan Sindall Awards for a second time for their work on the Grade II listed building in Oxfords Central Conservation Area. This year Asbestech were nominated for two awards, winning the “Perfect Delivery” award in recognition of our outstanding performance, and being runner-up in the “Best Contractor >£500,000” category.

Phil Neville, Operations Director, represented Asbestech at the Morgan Sindall Thames Valley Supply Chain event where the awards were announced at the end of an informative supplier and subcontractor conference, and was delighted to be presented with the award by James York, Area Director, and Dean Jetson, Supply Chain Manager.

Phil said, “I am delighted by the recognition my team have received for their exemplary work both on site and behind the scenes. Gary, Shane, and their site team have worked really hard to successfully deliver a complicated and prestigious project, with many outside factors influencing our work, and performed fantastically well.

Asbestech now move forward to the Morgan Sindall National Awards.

Three-Year HSE Asbestos License Renewed

Asbestech are delighted to announce that we have been awarded a three year renewal license from the HSE, taking us up to April 2026 (three years is the maximum term a license can be granted for). Asbestech has held a license continually since the asbestos licensing system was implemented in the UK and this latest award will allow our dedicated teams to support our clients in meeting their project and regulatory needs related to asbestos removal and abatement for the next three-year cycle.

Managing Director for Asbestech, Daniel Chalkley, commented, “Every member of our team should be proud of our continual award of a license from the HSE as it is testament to the real work that happens in the field and not just the high quality management systems that support that work. We work in a highly regulated sector of construction where the HSE expects better from licensed contractors than mere compliance, and the hard work of my teams helps us to achieve these high standards day in and day out.”

Asbestech sponsors the Noah’s Ark Winter Ball at the Dorchester

Asbestech Ltd was delighted to be a main sponsor of this year’s Winter Ball in the sumptuous Ballroom at the Dorchester Hotel in London. The Winter Ball is one of London’s go-to charity events, hosted by Bradley Walsh and Jeffrey Archer with entertainment from Alexandra Burke and cabaret performances from the West End, all with food crafted by the Hotels Head Chef and team; it was an amazing night to remember.

Daniel Chalkley, Managing Director of Asbestech said,
‘’ The Winter Ball was a very special evening with over £400,000 raised which is an amazing amount of money to help ensure children in Noah’s Arks care can enjoy life as children rather than patients. We continue to feel very proud and privileged to be associated with everyone at Noah’s Ark .’’

Director Elected to the ARCA Governing Council

Asbestech are please to announce that Phillip Neville, our Operations Director, has been elected to the Governing Council of the Asbestos Removal Contractors Association (ARCA) at the recent ARCA Annual General Meeting held at Lords Cricket Ground in London.

“I am honoured to have been elected as a Governing Council member,” said Phil, “and I look forward to supporting the membership whilst contributing to the development and growth of ARCA in addition to my existing role as Chair of the ARCA Training and Competence Committee.”

ARCA is the main trade body in our industry and has a broad influence on licensed asbestos removal within the UK. The Association provides training, guidance, support and leadership to over 300 licensed contracting members. The Governing Council members are responsible for promoting good practice and maintaining a high level of professionalism in the industry.

Daniel Chalkley, Managing Director of Asbestech, stated, “Phil’s election to the Governing Council reflects his growth not just within Asbestech but within the wider industry. His appointment a year ago to the ARCA Training and Competence Committee, which he has just been made Chairman of, reinforced to me that he has a lot to offer and influenced me to counsel him to apply to join the Governing Council. I was delighted to see him duly elected and look forward to the further contributions he will make.”

🌟 New hoodies for the MLS girls ⚽️ Hopefully they keep you warm during them winter training sessions 🥶


MLSFootballAcademy

Asbestech and Brighter Compass
Asbestech are committed to reducing our carbon footprint and our impact on the living environment around us. Along with the integration of fully electric vehicles in our fleet and using approved suppliers who provide products from a sustainable source, we have been thinking of other ways in which to enhance our sustainability efforts.

Under the umbrella of our Corporate and Social Responsibility Policy, Asbestech are proud to announce that we are now working with Brighter Compass, a Company whose mission is to simplify businesses needs to be more sustainable. With their help our aim is to create meaningful and manageable change within our business. Working with them assists us in making easy tangible changes, for example quick wins such as swapping the coffee in our kitchen and the body wash in our DCUs to more sustainable alternatives. Additionally, buying our site and office supplies in bulk where possible enables us to significantly reduce the amount of packaging used, and we are lucky to have large warehouse which enables us to take advantage of this.

Natasha Ince, Operational Compliance Administrator said, “By completing a quick and easy questionnaire, Brighter Compass helped us to accurately calculate our essential office supplies. Not only did this process save time which could be utilised elsewhere, but it also prevented under purchasing which would have led to an increased number of deliveries. I believe by making small adjustments we can all make a significant difference.”

Daniel Chalkley, Managing Director added, “As a national business, we know we can make positive changes and set a good example.” He added, “We hope this will inspire others to follow our lead and help make significant change for the better.”

ARCA Training & Technical Committee

Asbestech’s Operations Director, Phil Neville, has recently accepted an invitation to join the ARCA Training and Technical Committee. This group, who work as a sub-committee to the ARCA General Council, meet regularly to review and guide the training provision by ARCA, including ensuring that the training facilities are suitable.

“It’s very satisfying to be able to contribute to the work that ARCA does, and to the industry as a whole,” said Phil. “Effective training is fundamental to keeping our teams safe at work and to ensuring that projects are completed successfully in our sector by competent people at all levels of every business. The opportunity to play a role in the development and continual improvement of standards in our industry is one that I am proud to have taken.”

ARCA is the Asbestos Removal Contractors Association. It is the principal trade body covering asbestos removal and remediation work in the UK.

Asbestech and Mental Health Awareness Week

This year National Mental Health Awareness Week is organised between 10-16 May. Mental health is still a taboo topic for many, nowhere more than in the Construction Industry. Construction has among the greatest su***de rate of any industry. This, combined with the physical and mental exhaustion of staff continuing to work throughout the pandemic, means we now more than ever need to look after the mental as well as physical wellbeing of all our staff.

In recognition of this, two of our employees recently undertook a two-day Mental Health First Aid Course (MHFA England), the aim of which is to train those taking part in mental health first aid skills and in helping others find the support they need. Natasha Ince and Sally Charles, who undertook the training, both agreed that the training is a step towards raising awareness of mental health throughout the company. Natasha, Operational Compliance Administrator said, “The statistics of male su***de in construction are truly shocking and we are delighted that we are taking these small but significant steps to help ensure our employees feel supported and able to access the help they or someone close to them may be in need of”.

Sally, Business Support Manager said, “We recognise that training staff as Mental Health First Aiders is just one way to help raise awareness around mental health, and to continue this we will be providing further training to team members at every level within the company, recognising this as a tool in empowering our staff and building knowledge of mental health”.

Personal Safety & Security Improvements

At Asbestech we are always looking to improve what we do and how we do it, with the first thought in our minds being how to keep everyone safer. We didn’t just look at our own site team’s safety, but also other parties who may come to site to carry out different roles. Discussions with other professionals brought to light a point relating to personal safety that had until now been overlooked by the industry as a whole; that of the perceived and actual personal safety and security of women on site.

When consulting on this issue Asbestech undertook a detailed assessment of the possible risks on site to women and spoke to a cross section of women in the industry to get a real picture. This dialogue identified the safety and security of women when using the Decontamination Unit (DCU) following an enclosure entry. As a result, Asbestech is currently retro-fitting all of our DCUs with locks. These will be on the clean end entry door and the shower section to dirty end doors and can be locked from the inside to provide a level of comfort to women using the unit, giving confidence that they won’t be disturbed while they are decontaminating or changing to or from their day-clothes. In doing this we have also considered what would happen in an emergency situation and have fitted locks that can be opened if absolutely necessary from the other side, but this cannot be done without some effort involved.

Alessia Gilbey, one of Asbestech’s Contract Managers, was pleased with the initiative. “I haven’t come across this issue personally or ever had it raised, however I think it’s a simple method to provide an additional reassurance to myself and other women that may be required to use a DCU whilst on our sites.”

Operations Director, Phil Neville, added, “Whilst we wish there was no need to take such actions, there are additional risks to women on site and this needs to be addressed. This is only a modest change for us, but the response we have received shows that this has been an unvoiced concern to women in the industry for too long. We are really happy that such a small effort on our part can be another step towards everyone on site feeling more secure.”

We’re Hiring!

Asbestech are currently recruiting for qualified, and experienced, Asbestos Removal Supervisors and Operatives to join our professional, friendly company committed to staff development and with potential for career progression.

Immediate Starts available.

Applicants must have up to date training and medical certs and a good customer facing attitude and ideally hold a full driving license.

Rates of pay based on experience.

To apply to become part of the Asbestech team, please send an email to [email protected] or by calling 0845 680 0055.

Defibrillator Installation at Head Office

A life-saving defibrillator is now available at Asbestech’s Head Office and Warehouse in Hatfield.

The portable defibrillator can be used by anyone to help restart the heart when someone suffers a cardiac arrest.

Although no training is needed to use the defibrillator, staff at Asbestech have also recently undertaken first aid training which included the use of the defibrillator.

Peter Coles; Asbestech’s Warehouse Manager said, “Head Office is a busy environment with in excess of 100 members of staff passing through on an average day. Whilst we hope the defibrillator does not get used, it is reassuring to know there is access to a defibrillator in the event of an emergency and someone’s life could hopefully be saved.”

The defibrillator is not only accessible to the Head Office team in Hatfield but is also available to those near-by and is registered with the emergency services, so that in the case of an emergency, the defibrillator could not only save the life of an employee but also a member of the public.