Category A is awareness training — it teaches you to avoid disturbing asbestos. Category B is for people who actually carry out non-licensed work with asbestos. Category C is for licensed work. They are not levels of the same course; they are different jobs with different legal consequences.
The mistake that matters: assuming Category A is a stepping stone that lets you do “small” asbestos jobs. It does not. An awareness certificate permits no asbestos work of any kind.
The three categories
| Category A | Category B | Category C | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Asbestos awareness | Non-licensed work with asbestos | Licensed work with asbestos |
| Purpose | Recognise it and don’t disturb it | Carry out defined non-licensed work safely | Carry out licensed work |
| Who | Trades, maintenance, supervisors, surveyors, designers | Operatives doing non-licensed asbestos work | Employees of HSE-licensed contractors |
| Permits asbestos work? | No | Defined non-licensed work only | Licensed work |
| Online only? | Yes, acceptable | No — practical element required | No — practical element required |
All three sit under the training duty in Regulation 10 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, which requires training proportionate to the work being done.
Category A — asbestos awareness
For the large majority of people who need any asbestos training at all.
It is for anyone whose work could unexpectedly disturb asbestos: plumbers, electricians, joiners, roofers, decorators, maintenance staff, retrofit installers, surveyors, architects, and the people who supervise them.
It covers what asbestos is and what it does to you, where it’s typically found, how condition affects risk, how to avoid disturbing it, and the emergency procedure if you do.
What Category A does not permit: removing, drilling, cutting, sanding, breaking or sampling asbestos-containing materials. Not even a small amount. Not even “just to have a look”.
Online delivery is accepted for awareness training, and it typically takes one to two hours. See what asbestos awareness training is.
Category B — non-licensed work
For people who will actually carry out work on asbestos-containing materials that does not require an HSE licence — for example certain work on asbestos cement, or textured coatings, where the material and method fall within the non-licensed categories.
Category B goes well beyond awareness into how to do the work: risk assessment and plan of work, controlled methods that minimise fibre release, the right RPE and how to face-fit it, protective clothing, enclosures and controlled wetting, decontamination, and waste handling and disposal.
It cannot be delivered entirely online. Competence here includes practical skills — putting on and checking RPE properly cannot be assessed through a screen.
Notifiable non-licensed work (NNLW)
Some non-licensed work is notifiable. Where work falls into NNLW, the employer must notify the relevant enforcing authority before starting, keep records of the work, and arrange medical surveillance for the workers involved. This is a meaningful additional set of duties, and it is one reason Category B is not something to drift into casually.
Category C — licensed work
The highest-risk work: sprayed coatings, asbestos insulation, pipe lagging, and most work on asbestos insulating board (AIB). This work must be carried out by a contractor holding a licence from HSE.
Category C training is for employees of licensed contractors and involves substantial practical training, supervision and ongoing competence assessment.
If the material in front of you is pipe lagging, sprayed coating or AIB, the answer is a licensed contractor — regardless of what training anyone on site holds.
Which do you need?
- Will you work on asbestos-containing materials? No → Category A. Yes → continue.
- Is the work licensed? (sprayed coatings, lagging, most AIB) → licensed contractor and Category C.
- Otherwise → Category B, and check whether it is notifiable.
For almost everyone reading this, the answer is Category A. If you find yourself reasoning towards B or C to justify doing a job yourself, that is the moment to bring in someone qualified instead.
Refresher training
CAR 2012 requires refresher training as often as necessary to keep knowledge current. Annual refresher is the widely used standard across UK construction and maintenance, for all three categories, and it is what most principal contractors and clients expect to see.
Where certification bodies fit in
The A/B/C categories describe the type of training. Separately, several bodies certificate asbestos training — UKATA and IATP being the most commonly named — and some contractors, clients and frameworks specifically require training certificated by one of them.
Nexis CPD’s asbestos course is CPD-accredited Category A awareness training. It is not UKATA or IATP certificated, and it is not an Ofqual-regulated qualification.
So check the exact wording of what you have been asked for:
- “Asbestos awareness training” → CPD-accredited awareness training meets the Regulation 10 duty
- “UKATA asbestos awareness” or “IATP certificated” → you need that specific route
- “Category B” or “licensed asbestos work” → you need a provider offering practical training; we do not
We would rather tell you that up front than sell you the wrong course.
Further reading
Category A awareness training
- Asbestos Awareness (Category A) — trades, maintenance and supervisors
- Asbestos Awareness for Architects and Designers — design and specification stage
Related reading: What is asbestos awareness training? · Who legally needs it?
£9 per course. CPD accredited, 100 % online, verifiable e-certificate on completion. Pay for 2, get 3 — any 3 courses for £18.
Please note: this is a CPD-accredited Category A awareness course and general information, not legal advice. It is awareness training only — it does not permit or qualify anyone to work with, remove or sample asbestos, and it is not a UKATA, IATP or Ofqual-regulated qualification. We do not offer Category B or Category C training. Where your employer, client or scheme requires a specific certification, that must come from an approved provider — always check your own requirements.