UKATA Expands Global Presence

The UK Asbestos Training Association (UKATA) welcomes its first member from South America.

BRISA SA (based in Santiago, Chile) is now approved to deliver UKATA asbestos awareness and asbestos awareness refresher training.

With almost 200 members delivering training throughout the UK, Asia, Europe and now South America, leading training association UKATA continues to strengthen its global presence.

Since its establishment in 2000, BRISA´s mission has been to provide technically and economically viable responses to environmental problems to the Chilean industry, designing and implementing programs ranging from the design and operation of industrial waste management, contamination measurements, to environmental and health advice of cleaner production and implementation of Environmental Assessment Systems.

BRISA currently provides services to more than 70 clients of different industrial sectors, advising them on issues such as:

• Sampling, analysis, and management of asbestos remediation projects;
• Management, characterisation, and transport of non-hazardous and hazardous industrial waste;
• Environmental and health advice for the regulation of industrial facilities and implementation of Environmental Management Systems.

Managing Director of BRISA, Cristián Ramírez Lynch on discussing the collaboration with UKATA said:

“BRISA has been providing environmental services to the construction and demolition industry since 2012. In recent years they have become concerned about poor risk control practises when dealing with asbestos containing materials on site.

In 2020, I travelled to London to attend an international asbestos conference and met Professor Roger Willey, Managing Director of the ACS Group based in Glasgow, who has over 40 years’ experience in the asbestos industry. The relationship has developed over the years with meetings in Santiago and Glasgow, and an asbestos test house has now been set up in Santiago based on ISO 17025 and ISO 17020. The laboratory is currently awaiting accreditation by INN (the equivalent of UKAS).

As well as meetings with the Chilean Health Authority, detailed discussions have taken place on asbestos management, with BRISA and ACS to collaborate in the setting up a ‘National Standard Test House’ for authorities. As part of this process internal training events have been held in Santiago by Roger.

To ensure future asbestos courses are of the highest quality, BRISA has been approved by UKATA as a training provider – the first in South America.

Roger and I look forward to building strong links between South America and UKATA.”

Asbestos was fully banned in the UK in 1999. Prior to the ban, the properties of asbestos made it an ideal material for use in numerous products, including insulation material for buildings, boilers, and pipes; car brakes and floor tiles, insulating board to protect buildings and ships against fire; asbestos cement for roofing sheets and pipes.

Due to the risks to health following inhalation exposure to asbestos, the importation of blue and brown asbestos has been banned in the UK since 1985. This ban was extended to include white asbestos in 1999. Subsequently since 2001, the southern country of Chile banned the production, import, distribution, sale, and use of materials that contain asbestos.

UKATA’s Membership Manager, Sasha Brailsford said on managing the successful member application: “UKATA is passionate about raising awareness of the risks associated to working with asbestos. Despite being banned decades ago, harmful asbestos fibres are still present in buildings throughout the world. When disturbed, these fibres can cause life threatening conditions, including asbestos related cancer mesothelioma and asbestosis.

To have internationally recognised asbestos training providers delivering quality assured training enables UKATA and its members to spread the message to a wider global audience, with the goal of protecting workers and the public from the risks associated with asbestos exposure.

I wish to congratulate BRISA SA on successfully completing their application to join UKATA and look forward to working with them to promote safe and responsible working practices.”

UKATA, a leading association, is dedicated to enhancing the quality and standards of asbestos training with the aim to shield workers and the public from the hazards of asbestos exposure.

The association collaborates closely with its members to guarantee that they have access to the latest information, training resources, and industry updates. They provide a suite of support services to assist them in accomplishing their training objectives. Their membership encompasses a diverse array of organisations involved in asbestos training, including training providers, asbestos removal contractors, consultants, and equipment suppliers.

UKATA is fervent about promoting safe and responsible working practices, committed to working with members and partners to realise a shared vision of protecting workers and the public from the hazards linked with asbestos exposure.