North East company builds training simulator to prepare students for asbestos removal tasks.
Nichol Associates based in Hebburn Tyne and Wear was able to construct the full size property thanks to a £70,000 investment grant from the Finance for Business North East Growth Fund. The new complex compliments existing training and laboratory facilities, allowing the company to boast of what are believed to be the best asbestos training facilities to be found anywhere in the UK.
“Theory is all very well, but when it comes to the safe removal of asbestos, we need to give trainees the most realistic practice and experience possible and the only safe way to do that was to construct a simulator,” said Nichol Associates Managing Director Dave Nichol. “A life size bungalow gives our instructors the ability to put trainees through their paces in the most realistic residential simulation possible and ensures the training we provide is comprehensive.”
Asbestos remains the biggest cause of work related deaths in the UK and while the expansion of Nichol Associates suggests the message on training in the identification and safe removal of asbestos is getting through, far too many companies and individuals continue to flout the law and asbestos regulations –risking their own lives and those of others in the process. Estimates put the figure of public buildings alone in the UK containing asbestos at over 1.5 million and as the fabric of some of these older buildings deteriorates, there is going to be a real need for those trained to remove asbestos safely.
“The new facilities at our North East headquarters and our offices throughout the country are good news for us and those in need of training,” added Dave. “Too few have been trained in the safe handling and removal of asbestos. That must change and we are doing all we can to play our part.”
Nichol Associates aims to provide a one stop shop for all asbestos training needs. The Hebburn headquarters boasts not just its new £70,000 state of the art simulator, but additional surveying, removal and consultancy services, plus a fully functional analytical testing service and laboratory.
“We now have a comprehensive suite of training facilities, equipment and buildings that allows Nichol Associates to offer not just asbestos training, but to cater for those needing for wider health and safety training,” added Dave. “While asbestos remains the focus of our work, there are wider health and safety needs and this gives a real boost to us and we can factor in asbestos training to other courses where it is relevant and allows us to expand our education role on asbestos more generally.”
