Master’s in Responsible Restoration & Sensitive Materials Engineering — Asbestos/Lead Replacement, Regulations and Ethics
Online master's programme of 1,900 hours in responsible restoration and sensitive materials engineering — asbestos and lead replacement, regulations and ethics. 12 modules covering identification and sampling, asbestos removal, friction and gasket replacement, lead, chromium VI and cadmium, radioactive luminous paints, refrigerants, workshop health and safety, client ethics and hazardous waste, with an assigned technical tutor.
Take the controls.
Run a real engineering trade-off from this field. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Identify hazardous materials present in historic vehicles.
Plan sampling and analyse laboratory results.
Apply regulations on asbestos, lead, radiation and fluorinated gases.
Select equivalent, safe technical substitutes.
Assess and control occupational exposure in the workshop.
Manage hazardous waste with full traceability.
Communicate risks and decisions to the client with ethical transparency.
Who it's for
- Restoration technicians handling hazardous materials
- Health and safety managers at classic-vehicle workshops
- Coordinators of asbestos removal from vehicles
- REACH compliance consultants
- Industrial waste managers
- Technical advisers to historic collections
- Engineering or science graduates looking to move into classic-vehicle restoration
What you'll work with
- Real Decreto 396/2006 (Spanish regulation on work with asbestos exposure risk)
- Regulation (EC) 1907/2006 (REACH) (registration and restriction of chemicals)
- Real Decreto 374/2001 (Spanish regulation on chemical agents at work)
- Ley 31/1995 de Prevención de Riesgos Laborales (Spanish Occupational Risk Prevention Act)
- Real Decreto 1029/2022 (Spanish radiation protection regulation)
- Regulation (EU) 2024/573 (fluorinated greenhouse gases)
- ISO 9227 (salt spray corrosion tests)
- Ley 7/2022 de residuos y suelos contaminados (Spanish law on waste and contaminated soils)
- AutoCAD
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Power BI
- Agisoft Metashape
12 modules · 1900 h
1.1Historical inventory of hazardous substances1.2Asbestos: chrysotile and amphiboles1.3Lead in paints, solders and fillers1.4Hexavalent chromium in primers1.5Cadmium in fasteners and coatings1.6Radium and tritium in instruments1.7Mercury and PCBs in electrical components1.8CFC refrigerants in older air-conditioning systems1.9Location map by system1.10Case study: risk map for a 1960 passenger car
2.1Sampling of linings and gaskets2.2PCOM and TEM microscopy for fibres2.3X-ray fluorescence for lead2.4Colorimetric kits and their limits2.5Detection with a Geiger counter2.6Chain of custody for samples2.7ISO/IEC 17025 accredited laboratories2.8Interpreting analytical reports2.9Recording and labelling findings2.10Laboratory: XRF analysis of paint layers
3.1Real Decreto 396/2006 in workshops3.2Work plan and RERA-registered companies3.3Appropriate respiratory protection3.4Enclosure and negative pressure of the area3.5Personnel decontamination3.6Management of asbestos-containing waste3.7Health surveillance3.8Responsibility of the vehicle owner3.9REACH Annex XVII restrictions3.10Case study: work plan for brake shoes
4.1NAO and semi-metallic friction materials4.2SAE J866 friction classification4.3Riveting and bonding of linings4.4Organic and cerametallic clutch plates4.5Alternative cylinder-head and exhaust gaskets4.6Aramid fibre gaskets4.7Braking test after replacement4.8Aesthetic equivalence of the replacement part4.9Documenting the change4.10Practical: relining brake shoes with NAO material
5.1Stripping lead-based paints5.2Traditional body lead loading5.3Epoxy fillers and lead-free tin5.4Occupational exposure to chemical agents5.5HEPA extraction and dust control5.6Biomonitoring of blood lead levels5.7Lead-acid batteries and their management5.8Additives replacing tetraethyl lead5.9Lead counterweights and ballast5.10Workshop: lead-free body filling
6.1Zinc chromate primers6.2Yellow passivation and trivalent alternatives6.3Cadmium plating of fasteners6.4REACH authorisation of chromium trioxide6.5Zinc-nickel coatings as an alternative6.6Phosphating as an alternative6.7Chromate-free anti-corrosion paints6.8ISO 9227 salt spray testing6.9Durability comparison6.10Laboratory: comparative salt spray test
7.1Radium-226 paints on dials7.2Risk from inhalation and ingestion7.3Measuring dose rate7.4Current radiation protection regulations7.5Radioactive waste management with Enresa7.6Replacement with photoluminescent pigments7.7Encapsulation as an alternative7.8Communicating the risk to the owner7.9Keeping the original dial: an ethical dilemma7.10Case study: instrument panel containing radium
8.1R12 and ozone-depleting substances8.2Recovery by an authorised waste manager8.3Conversion to R134a or R1234yf8.4Glycol and silicone brake fluids8.5Capacitors with PCB oils8.6Toxicity of antifreezes8.7Old hydraulic fluids8.8Storage and labelling8.9Mandatory certification for fluorinated gases8.10Practical: air-conditioning conversion plan
9.1Occupational risk assessment9.2Industrial hygiene measurements9.3Selection of protective equipment9.4Ventilation and local exhaust9.5Zoning and signage9.6Worker training9.7First aid and emergencies9.8Coordination of business activities9.9Exposure records9.10Case study: assessment of a dismantling workstation
10.1Informing the owner about risks10.2Consent to replacements10.3Originality versus safety10.4Original parts encapsulated and kept in custody10.5Selling vehicles containing hazardous materials10.6Workshop civil liability10.7Public collections and museums10.8FIVA authenticity criteria10.9Declarations at auctions10.10Case study: client report on asbestos
11.1LER codes for hazardous waste11.2Spanish Law 7/2022 on waste11.3Identification and transfer documents11.4Temporary storage in the workshop11.5Contracting authorised waste managers11.6Chronological register and annual report11.7Management costs11.8Minimisation at source11.9Compliance audits11.10Practical: hazardous waste register
12.1Vehicle selection and materials diagnosis12.2Sampling and analysis plan12.3Project risk assessment12.4Proposal of technical replacements12.5Removal and management protocol12.6Functional validation of substitutes12.7Ethical and heritage documentation12.8Budget and execution plan12.9Master's Thesis report12.10Master's Thesis: defence before a panel
How you'll learn
The programme is 100% online on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. There are no fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within each intake, so it can be combined with work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is AutoCAD, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Power BI and Agisoft Metashape, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Testing is studied through real procedures: sampling and analysis of suspect materials, replacement of asbestos brake linings and hazardous waste management in the workshop. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final Master's Thesis.
Standards covered: Real Decreto 396/2006; Regulation (EC) 1907/2006 (REACH); Real Decreto 374/2001; Ley 31/1995 de Prevención de Riesgos Laborales; Real Decreto 1029/2022; Regulation (EU) 2024/573; ISO 9227; Ley 7/2022 de residuos y suelos contaminados.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- University degree in engineering, science or architecture, or equivalent proven professional experience.
- Internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme software.
- English sufficient to read technical standards.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme totals 1,900 hours over 12–14 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.
You work with AutoCAD, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Power BI and Agisoft Metashape, using free, academic or evaluation versions. Your tutor indicates the free alternative wherever one exists.
A SEIUM Institute diploma, awarded on passing the continuous assessment and the Master's Thesis. It is SEIUM's own qualification, not an official state degree; its recognition depends on the programme completed and the regulations of each country.
Yes. Modules passed in a course or postgraduate diploma in the same area are recognised in the higher programme. Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.
A university degree in engineering, science or architecture (or equivalent professional experience), a computer able to run the software and English sufficient to read technical standards.
Start dates are set by SEIUM's faculty for each intake. Our admissions team will confirm the next available date when you apply.
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