Asbestos is a category 1 human carcinogen and is subject to a specific set of regulations which contains an explicit duty on the owners and occupiers of non-domestic premises, shipping who have maintenance and repair responsibilities so as to assess and manage the risks for the presence of asbestos.

The purpose of an asbestos survey is to help manage the asbestos in your premises by providing accurate information on the location, amount and condition of the asbestos containing materials (ACMs). This Management Survey will provide the information for your asbestos register. If you are to do any refurbishment or demolition works, an intrusive survey is required by law.

Our comprehensive asbestos surveys are written in plain English by our fully qualified surveyors and will help you to fully understand what actions need to be carried out to ensure that the ACMs found are kept in a safe condition. All samples taken are analysed by an independent accredited laboratory.

THE UK HSE STRONGLY RECOMMENDS THE USE OF ACCREDITED OR CERTIFIED SURVEYORS FOR ASBESTOS SURVEYS.

The HSG264 states:

An asbestos survey has 3 main aims:

• It must as far as reasonably practicable locate and record the location, extent and product type of any presumed or known ACMs.
• It must inspect and record information on the accessibility, condition and surface treatment of any presumed or known ACMs.
• It should determine and record the asbestos type, either by collecting representative samples of suspect materials for laboratory identification, or by making a presumption based on the product type and its appearance etc.

We offer various types of asbestos survey:

Presumptive Survey

• A ‘Presumptive Survey’ does not require an initial inspection as no samples are taken. Materials which are presumed, or strongly suspected to contain asbestos are categorised as such and an Asbestos Management Plan put in place, along with an Asbestos Register. This is a non-intrusive survey highlighting possible locations.

Management Survey

• 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 works, and to assess their condition.
• The survey will include 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. Management Surveys can involve a combination of sampling to confirm if any asbestos is present or by presuming asbestos to be present.

Refurbishment and Demolition Survey

• This type of survey is needed before any refurbishment or demolition work is carried out. The survey will be fully intrusive and involve destructive inspection, as necessary, to gain access to all areas, including those difficult to reach. ACS uses an endoscope to ensure no area is left unexamined.

There is a specific requirement for all ACMs to be removed prior to refurbishment or demolition works being carried out.

FULL SAMPLING PROGRAMME

A full sampling programme is undertaken to identify possible ACMs and an estimate made of their volume and surface area. This survey is designed to be used as a basis for tendering for the removal of ACMs from the building prior to demolition or major refurbishment. A Refurbishment and Demolition Survey does not assess the condition of the asbestos, other than to note areas of damage or where additional asbestos debris could possibly be found. However, where the asbestos removal may not take place for some time, e.g. more than 3 months, the ACMs condition will need to be assessed and the materials managed.

WHICH TYPE OF SURVEY DO YOU NEED?

The type of survey required will depend on the individual circumstances of the client. KBA can advise you on the type of asbestos survey most appropriate to your needs. Sometimes a combination of the 2 types of survey may be required. For example a Boiler House due for demolition will require a Refurbishment/Demolition survey, whilst the adjoining Office Block will require a Management Survey.

We ensure that whatever asbestos survey is required, it conforms to the HSG264 industry standard as laid down by the HSE or applicable local guidelines.