If you carry out activities with materials containing asbestos, a notification must be submitted to the responsible trade supervisory office. This notification can be company- or object-related. Only companies are obliged to notify the authorities.
Object-related notifications must generally be made if the work is carried out outside the company premises (e.g. construction sites).
Company-related notifications can be made for stationary (e.g. operating site) or changing (e.g. construction site) workplaces. For changing workplaces, a company-related notification is only possible in the following cases:
- Activities with low exposure (No. 2.8 TRGS 519)
- Work of small extent (No. 2.10 para. 3 TRGS 519), i.e. asbestos cement sheets in outdoor areas with less than 100 m². (Before starting the work, a supplementary notification of place and time must also be submitted for this purpose).
- Maintenance measures (No. 17 TRGS 519)
Notes
Asbestos is a carcinogenic hazardous substance and was banned on a national level as early as 1993. Since 2005, asbestos has also been banned throughout Europe by the REACH regulation. Asbestos products already installed before the ban may currently still be used until the end of their useful life.
Work on asbestos-containing parts of buildings, equipment, machines, plants, vehicles and other products is generally prohibited.
Only demolition, renovation and maintenance work (ASI work - see definition under No. 2 TRGS 519) is permitted in accordance with the Hazardous Substances Ordinance. Prohibited are processes that lead to the removal of surfaces containing asbestos, such as grinding, pressure cleaning, brushing and drilling, unless they are so-called low-emission processes.
Also prohibited are:
- Overlay, superstructure and elevation work on asbestos cement roofs and wall coverings.
- Cleaning and coating work on uncoated asbestos cement roofs and wall cladding.
Any asbestos-containing materials generated during demolition, renovation and maintenance work must be disposed of as waste.
The safety requirements of the Hazardous Substances Ordinance for work on materials containing asbestos and the ban on asbestos also apply to private households.
The information does not claim to be legally binding or complete. They are intended for illustrative purposes only. For further information, please refer to the currently valid version of the Hazardous Substances Ordinance.