Question

Position in The Netherlands

1. What Government Ministry(ies) or Agency(ies) are responsible for overseeing asbestos management in non-domestic buildings in your country?

Please identify (a) the Ministries/Agencies responsible for the policy and regulatory regime; and

(b) the organisations charged with enforcing the regulations

Min of Social Affairs and employment

2. What is/are the current occupational or workplace asbestos exposure limit(s) in your country (in cm3)? In what circumstances do(es) they/it apply?

Please distinguish between mandatory and desirable limits

Please also provide information on any plans to change these limits in the next two years (include reference to any current debates, even if no conclusions have yet been reached)

2000 fibres/m3 for all types of asbestos (from Jan 1, 2017)

Mandatory Occupational Exposure Limit

No plans for revision

3. Does your country have an environmental asbestos exposure limit?

If yes, what is the environmental limit for asbestos (in cm3)? In what circumstances does it apply?

Please also provide information on any plans to change these limits in the next two years (include reference to any current debates, even if no conclusions have yet been reached)

Maximum Permissible Risk level:

Chrysotile 2800 per m3

Amphibole 300 per m3

Desirable limit, used for evaluation in accidental asbestos release

4. Which types of asbestos/asbestos containing materials should be removed from non-domestic buildings, including workplaces, if discovered?

Please say if a distinction is made between building types/uses.

Please also say if these rules apply to domestic buildings (or whether different rules apply for domestic buildings).

removal when there is potential risk (friable material), or when renovation/retrofitting takes place, no difference with regard to asbestos type

5. Which types of asbestos/asbestos containing materials can be left ‘in situ’ in buildings?

Please say if a distinction is made between building types/uses.

Please also say if these rules apply to domestic buildings (or whether different rules apply for domestic buildings).

See 4

6. Are owners/managers of non-domestic buildings (including workplaces) required to have their buildings surveyed for asbestos?

Yes, part of the regulatory risk inventory and evaluation on all risks at the workplace (must be approved by a certified occupational health service)

7. How frequently are building owners/ managers required to commission asbestos repeat-surveys when asbestos-containing materials have previously been found but considered safe to leave in the building?

No mandatory requirements, but often annual appraisal whether conditions have changed and this requires an updated risk inventory and evaluation

8. Do asbestos surveyors or inspectors need to hold a license to survey non-domestic buildings?

Yes, an official certification scheme has been implemented (Ascert)

9. Are building owners/managers required to keep an asbestos management plan?

If Yes: How frequently are building owners/ managers required to review asbestos management plans?

Yes, but this is part of the Risk Inventory and Evaluation

10. In addition to visual inspection, is routine air monitoring conducted in buildings where surveys have previously detected asbestos (if yes, how frequently)?

Not mandatory, often limited to risk evaluation after first discovery, and updates when needed

11. For all air monitoring of asbestos fibres, please advise what microscopy technology is routinely and mostly used for this purpose.

Phase contrast for regular situation, SEM for high-risk situation that requires notification to the national asbestos tracking system for removal of asbestos

12. For all non-domestic buildings, please specify whether, and in what circumstances, a national or regional register of asbestos is maintained?

National register of asbestos in public buildings

*              digital asbestos register real estate Online (https://bhi.rps.nl); consultancy run; not open access; technical drawings.

*              asbestos in primary and secondary school inventory: map of school buildings with asbestos information at atlas ‘leefomgeving – asbest’ (open access)

13. If a national or regional register is maintained for some or all non-domestic buildings: Are some, or all, of the contents of this register made publicly available?

Please specify the scope of any national or regional register of asbestos in non-domestic buildings. For example, whether for public and/or private buildings. For public buildings, whether schools, hospitals etc.)

See 12, open access system for Schools

14. Do contractors removing asbestos always have to be licensed?

Please specify any circumstances where asbestos can be removed by a contractor or other person who is not licensed.

Yes, unless it is done by owner themselves (which is possible when volume of asbestos to be removed is small and at negligible risk)