News Archive

The Asbestos Management Institute (AMI) held its Fourth Annual General Meeting on 16 April 2026 via Zoom, with 94 members and guests in attendance. Chaired by President Eddie Strong, the meeting ran from 10.30am to 12.30pm and included active engagement from participants, who submitted questions throughout the four speaker presentations.

Organisational Highlights

Over the past 12 months, AMI has achieved significant growth and progress:

• Twenty-nine new members were admitted, taking total membership to 117
• The Council met four times, with particular focus on positioning AMI membership within the competency frameworks emerging from the Building Safety Act
• The Technical Committee worked closely with the Asbestos Network Technical Working Group on leak testing guidance, helping deliver a shift from mandatory testing to a risk assessment-based framework centred on professional judgement

Fellowship Promotions

The AMI Council is pleased to announce the promotion of the following members to Fellowship:

• Adam Marshall
• Ross Darsey

Fellowship represents the highest recognition of professional achievement within the Institute. To achieve this distinction, members must maintain continuous membership for a minimum of five years with Continuing Professional Development (CPD) requirements fully current. Both recipients met these rigorous standards, and the Council approved their promotions unanimously.

Outstanding Contribution to the Industry Awards

Liz Darlington, MBE (Mesothelioma UK)

Liz Darlington, soon to retire as Chief Executive of Mesothelioma UK, founded the charity in 2000 and built it over two decades into a nationally recognised organisation with specialist nurses across NHS hospitals. She brought more than 37 years of clinical practice to the role and was appointed MBE in the 2019 Queen's Birthday Honours in recognition of her service to patients.

Charles Pickles (Founder, Airtight on Asbestos; Co-founder, Lucion Environmental)

Charles Pickles founded the Airtight on Asbestos campaign, putting his own energy and money into driving a better approach to asbestos management in the UK. The campaign brought asbestos in public buildings to the attention of the Work and Pensions Select Committee, leading to a full parliamentary inquiry to which Charles gave direct evidence. The outcome owes a very great deal to his persistence and willingness to fund and drive a campaign that many others talked about but did not pursue.

Join us in congratulating them on this incredible achievement.

A special thank you to our speakers:

James Staff, Principal Scientist, HSE Science and Research Centre, presented an overview of two upcoming HSE research projects examining how asbestos-containing materials degrade in buildings and measuring airborne fibre concentrations before, during and after non-licensed asbestos work.

Findlay Harris, SMH Products Ltd, covered the latest ceiling, floor and wall grinding equipment, with a focus on solutions designed to reduce operator fatigue, improve reach and adaptability, and support more efficient working.

Daniel Barrowcliffe, Policy Lead for Competence at the Building Safety Regulator, covered industry competence and the Building Safety Act.

Tracey Winspear, Application Engineer, 3M Personal Safety Division, presented an overview of the new 3M PF2-602E-ASB (Chinook) powered air respirator and the practical implications of its key developments for those working in the industry.

As we look forward, AMI remains dedicated to providing valuable resources and hosting impactful events and webinars for asbestos professionals. Stay tuned for updates on upcoming initiatives and opportunities to connect with industry experts. Webinar video links can be found here.