Managing Asbestos in Buildings

One of the main questions we get asked by our customers is how and who should be managing asbestos in buildings? This is quite a broad question to answer, as asbestos was used extensively in most types of building for many years, both Business and Domestic.

Since 2012, the Control of Asbestos Regulation has included a “duty to manage” asbestos in the requirements when dealing with asbestos in any building. The next question we then get asked is “who has this duty to manage?”

The “duty holder” is anyone who falls into the following categories;

• • If you are the building owner
  • If you are responsible for maintenance through Contract or Tenancy
  • If you control the building but have no formal contract
  • In a Building of Multiple occupancies when you have taken responsibility for the entire building or are the owner

Managing Asbestos in buildings is vital to the health of the nation, currently, there are approximately 4500  asbestos-related deaths each year in the united kingdom from legacy asbestos exposure. The ban in 1999 stopped all asbestos in a new building, but if you own or are the “Duty Holder” of a building that was built or refitted before this time then you should always assume that it contains asbestos.

If you are unsure of the current asbestos risk of your property or a property that you manage, then please contact Safeline Environmental for a professional survey and or assessment on the asbestos risk, or if you would rather do further research into the legislation behind managing asbestos in buildings then click here to go to the HSE website where you will find free information on the responsibility of the those who have a “duty to manage”.

One final thought from the HSE “Remember, the responsibility for complying with the duty to manage the potential risk remains yours if you are responsible for maintaining relevant parts of a building.“