Why Licensed Asbestos Removal Contractors Are Switching to External Quality Managers

Adam Fox • 17 July 2024

External quality managers can significantly reduce costs and improve standards simultaneously

Introduction


In the high-stakes world of asbestos removal, maintaining rigorous quality standards is not just a regulatory requirement—it's a crucial element of operational success and worker & client safety. Recently, a growing trend among Licensed Asbestos Removal Contractors (LARCs) has been the shift towards leveraging external quality managers. This strategic move is proving instrumental in enhancing compliance, streamlining processes, and ultimately ensuring the health and safety of all involved. This article explores the multifaceted benefits of external quality management and provides a compelling case study that illustrates these benefits in action.


The Role of Quality Managers in Asbestos Removal


Quality managers are pivotal in enforcing rigorous standards in asbestos removal. Their role involves overseeing every aspect of the removal process, ensuring compliance with Health and Safety Executive (HSE) regulations, and maintaining high standards of workplace safety. Traditionally, this role has always been held internally, but the complexities of modern regulations and the dynamic nature of workplace safety have seen a shift towards external appointments.


Expanded Benefits of External Quality Managers


Expertise and Specialised Knowledge


External quality managers bring a wealth of specialised knowledge acquired through diverse industry experience. Their expertise is particularly valuable in navigating the labyrinth of compliance and safety standards required in asbestos removal. This expertise is crucial, especially when contractors face challenging HSE visits whilst ensuring they meet the need to stay ahead of regulatory changes.


Cost Efficiency


Hiring an external quality manager can be significantly more cost-effective than employing a full-time internal quality manager. External managers provide flexibility—being called upon as needed—and this can significantly reduce overhead costs associated with salaries, benefits, and ongoing training that are inevitable with permanent staff.


Regulatory Compliance


One of the most critical roles of external quality managers is ensuring that all operations comply with ever evolving HSE regulations and guidance. Their independent status allows them to provide unbiased assessments that prioritise safety and compliance above internal politics or business pressures.


Why so Many LARCs are Making the Switch


Enhanced Focus on Core Business Activities


Outsourcing quality management allows LARC’s internal teams to focus on core activities such as client engagement, operational management, and technical execution. This focus is crucial for businesses aiming to enhance efficiency and foster innovation within their core offerings.


Streamlined License Renewal Processes


External quality managers streamline the license renewal process, making it efficient and less cumbersome. By maintaining up-to-date records and ensuring continuous compliance, they facilitate a smoother renewal process, which is essential for uninterrupted business operations.


Objective Assessments and Fresh Perspectives


External quality managers provide objective assessments that identify potential compliance issues before they become costly or damaging. Their fresh perspectives can reveal unseen opportunities for improvement that internal managers might overlook due to familiarity or inherent biases based on their emotional attachment to current systems and processes which are often outdated and have been superseded with better, more effective ones.


Deep Dive into Overcoming Challenges with External Quality Managers


While the benefits are clear, integrating an external manager into existing processes can pose challenges. Issues such as trust, communication, and coordination must be managed effectively. It's essential for LARCs to establish clear lines of communication and set clear expectations and shared goals to ensure that external managers integrate seamlessly with internal teams.


Case Study: A Success Story in Challenging Times


A poignant example of the effectiveness of external quality managers can be seen in our recent work with a LARC undergoing a tough license renewal process. The contractor had faced several challenging HSE visits and a significant turnover in their senior leadership team due to previous poor performances. Despite these hurdles, Consulo Compliance was able to step in and demonstrate the company's commitment to ongoing improvement.


Through rigorous external audits, chairing the company's quality meetings, and rewriting essential operational documents like standard operating procedures and plans of work, we provided the stability and direction needed to convince the HSE of their commitment to Health, Safety and Quality. Our involvement culminated in the successful renewal of their asbestos removal license for three years, with no additional conditions attached—a testament to the contractor’s renewed commitment to compliance and safety.


Added Benefits of External Expertise


An additional advantage of employing external quality managers like Consulo is our broad exposure and involvement in the industry. We work with multiple LARCs and participate on technical committees of various industry trade associations. This involvement ensures that we are always involved at the top level of the industry and can bring our clients the latest in innovations, changes in guidance, and examples of best practice from across the country and beyond before guidance is officially released. this means our clients are always a step ahead of their competition and even the HSE giving them a competitive edge with the higher paying clients.


Conclusion


The transition to external quality managers is more than a trend—it’s a strategic adaptation to the evolving landscape of asbestos removal. LARCs that embrace this model benefit from enhanced compliance, cost efficiency, and a sharper focus on their core activities, ensuring they not only meet but exceed the rigorous standards set by the HSE.


Call to Action


If you're a LARC striving to enhance operational quality and streamline compliance processes, consider the strategic benefits of hiring an external quality manager. Contact Consulo Compliance today to discuss how our tailored services can help elevate your business to new heights of industry excellence and regulatory compliance.

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by Adam Fox 9 April 2025
Asbestos and the Circular Economy: Why It's Time to Stop Burying the Problem Twenty-five years after asbestos was banned in the UK, we’re still digging a hole—literally and metaphorically. Every day, across the country, asbestos waste is double-bagged, labelled, loaded into skips, and driven to landfill, where it will sit indefinitely, taking up valuable space, creating ongoing liability, and adding to our already bloated environmental burden. And yet, 2025 presents a different path. A smarter one. One that replaces disposal with repurposing, and turns a dangerous waste product into a useful, circular resource. The technology exists. So the question we should be asking isn’t “Can we recycle asbestos?” It’s “Why the hell aren’t we doing it already?” Landfill is Failing Us—But We’re Still Relying On It Let’s start with the basics. There are still over 1.5 million buildings in the UK that contain asbestos, most of them now approaching the end of their useful life. As these structures age or undergo refurbishment, the volume of asbestos waste is only going to increase. Right now, we handle that waste the same way we did decades ago: • Identify it • Remove it (usually under fully controlled conditions) • Seal it in heavy-duty plastic • Drive it to landfill • Bury it • Forget about it Except we don’t forget, do we? Because landfill space is running out. Disposal costs are going up. And the environmental cost? We’re only just starting to count it. There’s a Better Way—and It Already Works Here’s what most duty holders don’t realise: We no longer have to bury asbestos. Thanks to recent advances in thermal treatment technology, we now have a method that can safely denature asbestos, breaking down its fibrous structure and rendering it harmless. Companies like Thermal Recycling in the UK are already proving this is not science fiction. They’re using high temperatures to transform asbestos cement products—like corrugated roofing sheets—into an inert ceramic material that’s completely safe. But here's the best bit: That material isn’t just neutral. It’s useful. It can be crushed and graded into aggregate, which can be used in road construction, paving, and concrete mixes. Instead of creating a waste burden for the next generation, we’re creating a valuable, low-carbon building material. Why Aggregate Matters in the Carbon Equation The production of virgin aggregates—through mining and quarrying—is energy-intensive and environmentally damaging. It contributes significantly to CO₂ emissions and destroys natural landscapes. So by replacing some of that demand with recycled aggregate from denatured asbestos, we: • Cut carbon emissions • Reduce dependence on extraction • Shrink the environmental footprint of infrastructure projects • Extend the life of quarries and reduce waste tonnage That’s not just a win for waste management. That’s a win for the entire construction supply chain. And yet most people in the industry don’t even know it’s possible. Why Are We Still Burying What Could Be Reused? As someone who’s worked in asbestos compliance for over 20 years—and now helps business leaders manage risk more intelligently—I’ve seen the same patterns play out time and time again: • “We’ll just do what we’ve always done.” • “This project’s tight on budget—landfill’s cheaper, right?” • “We’re just following the usual route—it’s less risky.” Let’s be honest. That mindset is outdated, short-sighted, and lazy. Cost may always be a factor, but the belief that landfill is “cheaper” needs to be challenged. 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Choosing the most sustainable, forward-thinking disposal route should be part of that. Especially when the technology is available, proven, and legal. It’s time for the industry to stop hiding behind what’s convenient and start leading from the front. A Moral Obligation for Everyone Involved Whether you’re a: • Local authority managing public buildings • Developer under pressure to go green • Commercial landlord looking to reduce liability • Or a licensed contractor with influence over disposal routes —you have a responsibility to look beyond the cheapest or fastest option. If there’s a proven, safe, and more sustainable way to manage asbestos, you have a duty to understand it before choosing to ignore it. Because let’s be honest: “We didn’t know” isn’t going to wash when the public starts asking why we’re still filling landfill sites with a problem we already have the technology to eliminate. So What Can You Do Differently? No one’s asking you to overhaul your entire waste strategy overnight. But you can—and should—start asking better questions: • “Is landfill our only option here?” • “Could this waste stream be recycled instead of buried?” • “What suppliers, contractors, or experts do we know who can help us explore this?” You don’t have to be a global pioneer. But if you’re in a position of responsibility, you should at least be aware that the old way isn’t the only way anymore. Final Thought: The Future Is Circular—Whether You Join In or Not Asbestos will be with us for decades to come. That’s a fact. But how we handle it—and whether we choose to keep repeating the past or do something smarter—is up to us. Thermal recycling and other denaturing technologies offer a rare opportunity to do something that actually moves the industry forward. Not just ticking the compliance box. Not just burying the problem. But solving it—and turning it into something useful in the process. If you’re involved in asbestos management in even the slightest way, ask yourself this: Are you part of the problem, or part of the solution?
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