The Authorisation Scheme for Asbestos Removal
Why the company — not just the employee — must be approved
From 1 January 2025 it is no longer enough that individual employees have completed asbestos training. Companies that demolish asbestos-containing material must themselves obtain authorisation from the Danish Safety Authority before they can take on the task. The shift moves some responsibility from the individual tradesperson to company management and systems — and it is one of the most significant changes in the asbestos area in many years.
§Authorisation is a Requirement for the Company, not Just the Person
Previously, the rules were mostly about the individual employee being trained for the task. With the authorization scheme, the Security Authority sets requirements for the company as a whole: it must be able to demonstrate that it is organized to carry out asbestos work responsibly — not just that the employee performing the removal has a course certificate.
§How a company obtains authorization
- 01The company must have a quality management system that describes how asbestos-containing material is handled safely and that contains a final assessment of whether the individual work has been carried out according to the Danish Working Environment Authority's asbestos rules
- 02The quality management system must be pre-approved by an independent inspection body before authorisation can be issued
- 03The company must have an approved responsible person who is associated with the company at least 30 hours per week within the company's normal working hours
- 04All workers who carry out the demolition must have completed the 4-day AMU course in working with asbestos-containing materials, completed with an exam
§What does the authorization requirement cover in practice
The requirement covers both complete and partial removal or demolition of asbestos-containing material, which in practice covers virtually all forms of asbestos demolition in buildings. It applies regardless of whether the task is a complete roof replacement or a minor partial removal of pipe insulation — as soon as it is a question of actual demolition outside the exemption, the authorisation is required.
§Tightened requirements for the work itself from 21 December 2025
On top of the authorization requirement a number of stricter requirements for implementation came into force on December 21 2025 as a result of Denmark incorporating an EU directive on asbestos (Directive (EU) 2023/2668) into the Danish rules.
| Requirement | What it means in practice |
|---|---|
| Decoration | Employees must be decontaminated properly before taking a break or leaving the work site — so fibres are not carried out |
| Løbende befugtning | Asbestos dust must be kept continuously dampened so it binds and does not swirl up in the air |
| Tight screening with negative pressure | When working where significant amounts of asbestos dust are released, dust-tight shielding with negative pressure must be established |
| End of exemption for high-pressure flushing | The Labour Authority no longer grants exemption for high-pressure washing asbestos roofs with special cleaning containers; previously granted exemptions expire July 1 2026 |
§Consequences and oversight
It is the Safety Authority that supervises the authorisation scheme, issues authorisations and can refuse or withdraw them if the conditions are no longer met. Violation of the asbestos rules can be punished with a fine, and in serious cases imprisonment for up to 2 years can be imposed. From 21 December 2025, the company's quality management system must also contain a copy of the training certificates for the employees who have completed the 4-day AMU training.
“An authorisation is not something you get once and forget — it is only valid as long as the company actually meets the requirements.”