IN Brief:
- Warmworks and UKATA have agreed a partnership focused on asbestos safety.
- Training and awareness are aimed at retrofit supply chains in occupied housing.
- The organisations say they will share expertise and support aligned initiatives.
Warmworks has formed a partnership with the UK Asbestos Training Association (UKATA) aimed at improving health and safety practice for residential retrofit and energy-efficiency works where asbestos-containing materials may be present.
The partnership is positioned around training, compliance, and awareness for contractors and supply-chain partners working in and around legacy building fabric. Warmworks notes that where work takes place in homes containing asbestos, strict safety protocols are required to protect both those on site and the occupants of the property.
UKATA describes itself as an authority on asbestos training in the UK, setting standards and providing recognised training intended to support the safe management of asbestos. The organisation’s wider portfolio covers asbestos awareness and training for roles that may encounter asbestos during maintenance, refurbishment, or related works.
Warmworks and UKATA said they will explore opportunities to share expertise, raise awareness of safe working practices, and support initiatives aligned to improving living conditions and protecting public health. The partnership scope, as described by both organisations, is intended to support consistent training expectations across programmes that involve multiple delivery partners operating at pace across housing stock of varying ages and construction types.
Debbie Nixon, senior operations manager at UKATA, said: “We are really pleased to be working with Warmworks on this partnership. It brings together shared values and a common focus on safety, quality, and supporting positive outcomes for people and communities.”
Kieran McGuire, health, safety and environment director at Warmworks, said: “Our people are trained to deal with asbestos confidently and safely because we’re committed to building a proactive, people-centred health and safety culture across our organisation and supply chain. Our new partnership with UKATA will play an important role in realising that vision.”
The agreement lands as retrofit programmes continue to expand across older housing, where asbestos-containing materials can be encountered in insulation, boards, textured coatings, and service risers, particularly during intrusive works. The operational challenge is often less about the presence of asbestos than the control of disturbance — ensuring surveys, planning, site behaviours, waste handling, and competency expectations remain consistent across subcontracting chains.
Warmworks said the partnership will support its broader approach to health and safety by strengthening the training and awareness available to those delivering measures in occupied homes, where sequencing, access, and resident protection add additional constraints compared with empty-property refurbishment.
