ASBESTOS SURVEYS SERVICE

The purpose of an asbestos survey is:

To help manage asbestos in your premises in accordance with the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 Regulation 4.To also provide accurate information on the location, amount and condition of asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) on site. Our surveys also consist of assessing the level of damage or deterioration in the ACMS and deciding if remedial action is required from our expert assessment. We will use survey information such as the asbestos register to prepare an asbestos management plan and risk assessment as soon as possible. Additionally, we will also help identify all ACMs to be removed before refurbishment work or demolition.

Asbestos Removal

Image of asbestos removal

Remove asbestos debris

Remove crumbling asbestos

Removal of asbestos

Removal of asbestos in progress

Asbestos in black bag

Asbestos being removed

Asbestos removal

THE DANGERS OF ASBESTOS

Anyone who suspects that asbestos may be present in a building they live or work in needs to act as quickly as possible. Asbestos is an extremely hazardous material that, if damaged or disturbed, releases fibres that are small enough to be inhaled. Once in the lungs, these fibres can cause serious illnesses such as asbestosis, mesothelioma and lung cancer. Every week in the UK 20 tradespeople die because they were exposed to asbestos in the past. In addition, 5000 or so individuals in the UK are killed by asbestos each year, significantly outnumbering those killed in road traffic accidents. Asbestos was added to over 3000 building materials and any building which was completed or refurbished before the year 2000 could contain asbestos. Therefore, to prevent exposure it is essential that all asbestos-containing materials are either managed, repaired or removed.

What is a management survey and what function does it provide?

A management survey is the standard survey. Its purpose is to locate, as far as reasonably practicable, the presence and extent of any suspect ACMs in the building which could be damaged or disturbed during normal occupancy, including foreseeable maintenance and installation, and to assess their condition. Management surveys will often involve minor intrusive work and some disturbance.

The extent of intrusion will vary between premises and depend on what is reasonably practicable for individual properties, ie it will depend on factors such as the type of building, the nature of construction, accessibility etc.

A management survey includes an assessment of the condition of the various ACMs and their ability to release fibres into the air if they are disturbed in some way. This 'material assessment' will give a good initial guide to the priority for managing ACMs as it will identify the materials which will most readily release airborne fibres if they are disturbed.

What are HSG 264 Asbestos Refurbishment and Demolition Surveys?

A refurbishment and demolition survey is needed before any refurbishment or demolition work is carried out. This type of survey is used to locate and describe, as far as reasonably practicable, all ACMs in the area where the refurbishment work will take place or in the whole building if demolition is planned.

The survey will be fully intrusive and involve destructive inspection, as necessary, to gain access to all areas, including those that may be difficult to reach. A refurbishment and demolition survey may also be required in other circumstances, eg when more intrusive maintenance and repair work will be carried out or for plant removal or dismantling. Refurbishment and demolition surveys are intended to locate all the asbestos in the building (or the relevant part), as far as reasonably practicable. It is a disruptive and fully intrusive survey which may need to penetrate all parts of the building structure.

Aggressive inspection techniques will be needed to lift carpets and tiles, break through walls, ceilings, cladding and partitions, and open up floors. In these situations, controls should be put in place to prevent the spread of debris, which may include asbestos. Refurbishment and demolition surveys should only be conducted in unoccupied areas to minimise risks to the public or employees on the premises. Ideally, the building should not be in service and all furnishings removed.

For minor refurbishment, this would only apply to the room involved or even part of the room where the work is small and the room large. In these situations, there should be effective isolation of the survey area (eg full floor to ceiling partition), and furnishings should be removed as far as possible or protected using sheeting. The 'surveyed' area must be shown to be fit for reoccupation before people move back in. This will require a thorough visual inspection and, if appropriate (eg where there has been significant destruction), reassurance air sampling with disturbance. Under no circumstances should staff remain in rooms or areas of buildings when intrusive sampling is performed.