Services / Asbestos Management Surveys
Asbestos Surveys
What is Asbestos?
Asbestos would be a great building product were it not for the significant health risks. It was the building material of choice in the 1960s to the mid '70s in the UK, before the potentially deadly properties of asbestos were known.
During this time asbestos was used for a number of jobs such as; floor tiles, pipe lagging, asbestos reinforced textured coatings (Artex), internal partitions, central heating systems, roofs, gutters, rainwater downpipes, cement cladding, fire protection to structural steelwork, fuse boxes, bitumen products and many, many more.
Why is Asbestos dangerous?
When asbestos is in good condition, it poses no significant health risks. However, where the materials are in poor condition or are disturbed or damaged, asbestos fibres are released into the air, which, if breathed in, can cause serious lung diseases, including cancers.
Asbestos still kills around 5000 workers each year and around 20 tradesmen die each week as a result of past exposure.
Asbestos regulations
Asbestos regulations were first introduced in 2002 with the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations (CAWR 2002). These were superseded in 2006 with the Control of Asbestos Regulations (CAR 2006) and these have more recently been revised with the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (CAR 2012).
Regulation 4 of CAR 2012 imposes a duty of care for asbestos control and management on the duty holder who may be the owner of the property, landlord or the manager of a business within the premises. This asbestos legislation covers non-domestic properties and the communal areas of domestic dwellings, such as blocks of flats.
If you are the duty holder for a commercial property and fail to comply with asbestos regulations you are liable to prosecution.
Can I survey the building for asbestos myself?
Yes - but only if you are suitably qualified to do so. HSE strongly recommends the use of accredited or certificated surveyors for asbestos surveys (HSG264 Asbestos: The Survey Guide).
How much will an asbestos survey cost?
That depends on the size and age of your building and the type of survey you require. AFA will be happy to provide you with advice or a free quote.
There are two different types of Asbestos survey
In order to manage asbestos you will need a survey. If you are simply looking to comply with legislation then you will require an Asbestos Management Survey, however, if you are looking to undertake refurbishment or demolition then you will require a Refurbishment and Demolition Survey.
Asbestos Management Survey
The purpose of the management survey is to locate, as far as reasonably practicable, the presence and extent of any suspect asbestos containing material in the building, which could be damaged or disturbed during normal occupancy, including foreseeable maintenance and to assess their condition.
Our Asbestos Management Report includes a risk assessment and will recommend any necessary remedial works and help you produce an asbestos management plan. AFA can also work with you to compile your asbestos management plan to ensure you comply with the CAR 2012 Regulations.
Our surveyors are P402 qualified as a minimum standard and carry out all asbestos surveys in line with HSG264.
Refurbishment and Demolition Survey
This type of survey is required before any significant refurbishment or demolition is carried out. 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 or demolition survey may also be required in other circumstances, e.g. when more intrusive maintenance and repair work will be carried out or for plant removal or dismantling.
Asbestos sampling service
If an Asbestos Management Survey is not required, AFA is happy to provide you with an asbestos sampling service.
Particularly in the case of domestic clients, a survey can sometimes be more than is required. If you are simply looking to find out if one particular product within your property contains asbestos then our sampling service may be more appropriate. A surveyor will visit your property and take the required sample (s), which will then sent to a UKAS accredited laboratory for analysis. You will subsequently receive the laboratory analysis results, which will identify whether the sample contains asbestos and, if so, which type.
Do you need an Asbestos Management Survey?
If you're looking for an Asbestos Management Survey to be carried out on your property, please fill out and submit the form below.