Asbestos Surveys

Asbestos surveys are done so in accordance with the requirements detailed within HSE guidance document HSG264 Asbestos: The survey guide.

HSG264 was introduced in January 2010 as the long awaited replacement for MDHS100. This new document provided much needed guidance for the client as well as the survey organisation, with an overall objective of ensuring competent and concise survey reports that were fit for their purpose.

Increased emphasis was placed upon the importance of the appropriate planning of a survey, to reduce caveats and areas of ‘no access’ as far as reasonably practicable, which were an issue that many clients faced with historical survey reports.

What type of asbestos survey do I need?

The types of asbestos survey undertaken by Paragon Environmental Safety Limited are described as follows:

Management surveys
Refurbishment surveys
Demolition surveys
Re-inspection surveys

Here is a brief overview of the different types of asbestos surveys:

Asbestos Management Survey

The asbestos Management survey is described as the standard survey. Its purpose is to locate and describe as far as reasonably practicable, the presence and extent of any suspected asbestos containing materials within a building that could foreseeably be disturbed during normal occupancy activities and simple and routine maintenance activities, and to assess their condition.

A Management survey involves a methodical and thorough visual inspection of all accessible areas of a property (both internal and external), and may involve minor intrusive work and some disturbance to ensure that all areas are inspected thoroughly.

Any materials encountered that are suspected of containing asbestos will either be sampled or presumed to contain asbestos, and the surveyor will undertake an assessment of the condition of any identified asbestos containing materials, and of their ability to release asbestos fibres into the air should they be disturbed. This is a numerical assessment and is known as the ‘material assessment’. It will provide an initial guide as to management priorities as it will identify those materials which will be prone to releasing respirable asbestos fibres should they be disturbed.

Asbestos Management surveys are typically the type of survey requested by clients who require a base level of asbestos information upon which to formulate a register of asbestos and asbestos management plan for a premises.

Asbestos Refurbishment and Demolition surveys

Asbestos Refurbishment and Demolition surveys are needed prior to any refurbishment or demolition work that disturbs the fabric of a building. The purpose of these types of survey is to locate and describe, as far as reasonably practicable, all asbestos containing materials in the area(s) where intrusive maintenance and repair work, refurbishment work or demolition will take place.

The scope of Refurbishment and Demolition surveys will be designed around the specification for the intended refurbishment or demolition project, which may or may not include all areas of a building or site. This ensures that the areas affected by the planned works are able to be inspected appropriately and thoroughly, and that the survey report is fit for purpose.

Whereas a Management survey may involve minor intrusive inspection methods, Refurbishment and Demolition surveys are fully intrusive and may involve destructive inspection techniques, as appropriate, to access all areas including those that are difficult to reach. Refurbishment and Demolition surveys should be undertaken in unoccupied areas to ensure that risks to building occupants are minimised.

Asbestos information gathered during the course of Refurbishment and Demolition surveys should also be used to support the existing asbestos register, that may have been formulated following the completion of a Management survey.

Asbestos Re-inspection survey

As part of the ongoing plan to manage the risk of exposure to asbestos, the location and condition of identified asbestos containing materials should be routinely re-inspected and records, risk assessments and action plans updated accordingly.

For various reasons including for example accidental or intentional damage to a building, unsupervised or unplanned refurbishment work and the degradation of binding agents or surface treatment, the condition of asbestos containing materials can deteriorate even within a short space of time.

Paragon Environmental Safety Limited are able to carry out a re-inspection of the asbestos materials within your premises and to provide an update to the asbestos register and action plans as appropriate. This will provide you with piece of mind that records are up to date and that the continual risk of exposure to asbestos materials is being monitored and therefore minimised.

Please contact us for further information or advice regarding your asbestos survey requirements.

Asbestos surveys undertaken throughout the United Kingdom and cities including Birmingham, Leeds, Greater Manchester, Liverpool, Nottingham, Derby, Sheffield and Wolverhampton, as well as throughout surrounding counties including Staffordshire, Cheshire, Shropshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Merseyside, Lancashire, Yorkshire and into North and South Wales.

Call 01782 43883 or email hello@youcandoit.training