Asbestos Awareness for the Retail Sector in Ireland.

Where asbestos hides in retail premises

Shops fitted out before 2000 can contain asbestos in places staff and contractors disturb during refurbishment, repairs and shop-fit work. Knowing where it hides is the first step to staying safe:

Ceilings, partitions and walls

Asbestos insulating board (AIB) was widely used for ceiling tiles, partitions, soffits, riser panels and around service ducts. It releases fibres easily when drilled, cut or removed - exactly what happens during a shop-fit or signage change.

• Check the asbestos register before drilling or fixing into ceilings and walls
• Do not remove old ceiling tiles or partitions until they are confirmed safe
• Treat suspect panels behind counters, in stockrooms and risers as asbestos
• Report any damaged board so it can be assessed

Floors, coatings and adhesives

Older vinyl floor tiles, the bitumen adhesive beneath them and backing to sheet flooring can contain asbestos, as can textured decorative coatings on ceilings and walls. Lifting, sanding or breaking these materials during a re-fit can release fibres.

If you are not certain what a floor tile, coating or panel is, treat it as asbestos until it is confirmed safe. A few minutes checking the register can prevent a lifetime of harm.

Roofs, soffits and external fabric

Asbestos cement was used for roof sheets, cladding, gutters, downpipes, soffits and flues on many older retail units and outbuildings. Repairs, re-roofing and shopfront work can disturb these materials, so they must be identified before work begins.

• Identify asbestos cement before any roof, gutter or soffit work
• Never break, drill or power-wash suspected asbestos cement
• Use the asbestos survey to plan external repairs safely
• Leave higher-risk work to trained or licensed contractors

Legal duties for retail employers

Under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 and the Exposure to Asbestos Regulations 2006 and 2010 (SI 386/2006, SI 589/2010), retail employers and duty holders have clear responsibilities:

1. Information and training - Anyone who may disturb asbestos containing materials must receive asbestos awareness training before they start work.
2. Asbestos identification - The presence of asbestos must be identified before refurbishment or maintenance begins, using the asbestos register and survey for the premises.
3. Risk assessment - A written assessment must consider where ACMs may be present, their condition and how the planned work could disturb them.
4. Do not disturb - If asbestos is suspected, work must stop. Higher-risk asbestos work is reserved for trained or licensed contractors.
5. Reporting - Suspected ACMs and any accidental disturbance must be reported immediately so the area can be isolated and assessed.

Our online Asbestos Awareness Course helps retail employers meet their training obligations efficiently and cost-effectively, with bulk pricing available for teams.

Retail asbestos risks by setting

Different retail premises throw up asbestos in different places. Understanding your setting helps you stay alert to where ACMs are likely to be hidden.

High street shops and units

Older high street units often have AIB ceilings and partitions, vinyl floor tiles and textured coatings hidden behind newer finishes. Each change of tenant and shop-fit risks disturbing them, so the register must be checked before any strip-out.

Supermarkets and department stores

Large stores in older buildings can contain lagging in plant rooms, insulating board around services, and asbestos cement roof sheets and cladding. Maintenance, extensions and remodelling are the activities most likely to disturb asbestos.

Convenience, DIY and specialist retail

Smaller units, retail parks and converted premises frequently combine modern fit-outs with older fabric. Refurbishment, signage changes and routine repairs can all reach asbestos that was simply covered over rather than removed.

STOP-CHECK-REPORT in retail

Preventing asbestos exposure takes more than training alone - it needs a culture where everyone checks before they cut, drill or strip out. Awareness training teaches the simple rule that protects every worker.

Stop and do not disturb

If you find or suspect asbestos during repairs or refurbishment, stop work immediately. Do not drill, cut, scrape, sweep or clean up, and keep colleagues and customers away from the area so fibres are not spread further.

Check the register and survey

Before any task that could disturb the fabric of an older shop, check the asbestos register and survey for the area and warn anyone working nearby. If no survey is available, treat suspect materials as asbestos.

Report and wait for clearance

Report suspected asbestos to your manager or duty holder straight away and do not resume until the material has been assessed and you are told it is safe. Higher-risk removal is for trained or licensed contractors - awareness training does not qualify you to remove or repair asbestos.

The cost of getting asbestos wrong

Asbestos remains the biggest cause of work-related deaths in Ireland and the UK. Diseases such as mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestosis and pleural thickening are incurable and often fatal, and the fibres breathed in today may not cause illness for decades. There is no safe level of exposure.

For retailers, disturbing asbestos without proper controls can mean closed stores, expensive emergency clean-ups, HSA enforcement, prosecution and lasting reputational damage. Training your store, maintenance and contractor teams to recognise and report asbestos is a small investment against a very large risk - and our affordable online course keeps everyone protected and compliant.