Asbestos Safe Vacuum Cleaners — H-Class Type H

Asbestos Safe Vacuum Cleaners — H-Class Type H, the Licensed Contractor Specification

Asbestos fibre removal requires H-Class Type H vacuum equipment — the only classification that captures asbestos fibres at the filtration efficiency required for safe containment. H14 HEPA filtration at 99.995% prevents asbestos fibres being exhausted back into the environment during and after cleaning. Licensed asbestos removal contractors must use Type H equipment; any lesser classification is non-compliant for asbestos work.

Every V-TUF H-Class machine in this collection carries the Type H classification mark and is certified to EN 60335-2-69. Certification documentation is available for method statements, RAMS and regulatory submissions.

Asbestos — the regulatory framework

Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (CAR 2012) — requires a licensed contractor for all notifiable asbestos containing material (ACM) work. Licensed contractors must use Type H vacuum equipment for all vacuuming of ACM debris and dust.
COSHH 2002 — asbestos is classified as a carcinogen. Engineering controls — H-Class extraction — are required before RPE. The control limit is 0.1 fibres/cm³ as a 4-hour TWA.
HSE Asbestos Licensing Unit — licensed contractors are inspected and their equipment and methods are verified against CAR 2012 requirements. Non-compliant equipment is grounds for licence review.
Non-licensed work — some lower-risk ACM work does not require a licence but still requires H-Class vacuum equipment and appropriate RPE. The distinction is the risk level and fibre release potential, not the presence of asbestos itself.

Why filter integrity matters

An H-Class machine with a damaged, poorly fitted or saturated filter is not achieving 99.995% filtration — it is achieving something significantly less, and potentially exhausting asbestos fibres into the environment at concentrations above the control limit. Filter maintenance, filter change procedure and the integrity of the filter seal are all RAMS items on licensed asbestos work. The GRINDEX range with Longopac sealed continuous bagging addresses the filter exposure risk during emptying — the most common point of filter breach.