Schools can now access a new interim Asbestos Awareness training course on Blackboard, developed by the Health and Safety Service to support staff in understanding their responsibilities for managing asbestos safely.
The course is particularly aimed at new starters who are unable to attend a Somerset Council-hosted Asbestos Awareness course straight away. It can also be used to increase or refresh asbestos awareness among other relevant staff.
Who is the training for?
The Blackboard course is particularly relevant for:
- Premises Managers and Site Managers
- Caretakers
- staff who meet or oversee contractors as part of their role
- new starters with asbestos management responsibilities
- other staff who would benefit from increased asbestos awareness.
What does the course cover?
The training provides practical information on managing asbestos in schools, including:
- what asbestos is and why it remains an important issue
- legal duties and Somerset Council arrangements
- asbestos surveys, registers and annual re-inspections
- the Local Asbestos Management Plan F21a and Annual Returns
- managing contractors and maintaining the 3 asbestos folders
- what to do if asbestos-containing materials are accidentally damaged or disturbed.
Knowledge checks are included throughout, together with photographs of asbestos-containing materials commonly found in schools. A downloadable 10-question quiz is also available on Blackboard.
Full Asbestos Awareness course
The Blackboard resource is intended as interim or awareness training and does not replace the full Somerset Council Asbestos Awareness course. The full course is free for maintained schools and can be booked through SSE. The training presentation also states that Asbestos Awareness training should be renewed every two years.
Next full Asbestos awareness training sessions:
- 10 November 2026, 9:30am to 12:30pm, Virtual
- 20 January 2027, 10:00am to 12:30pm, Bridgwater House
Schools are encouraged to use the new Blackboard resource to support immediate awareness and ensure relevant staff are booked onto the full Asbestos Awareness training using the SSE site.
Further information
Somerset Council’s asbestos policy, guidance, forms, emergency procedures and signing-in information are available on the Health and Safety Policies and Guidance pages. For asbestos-specific queries, schools can also contact the Asbestos Team.
