What is an asbestos survey?
What does an asbestos survey involve?
Why have an asbestos survey?
- helps you manage asbestos in your premises.
- provides you with accurate information on the location, amount and condition of ACMs.
- enables you to assess the level of damage or deterioration in the ACMs and whether remedial action is required.
- allows you to use the survey information to prepare a record of the locations of any asbestos, commonly called an asbestos register, and an asbestos plan of the building(s).
- helps you with the identification of the ACMs to be removed before refurbishment work or demolition.
What type of surveys are there?
- Management survey,
- Refurbishment and demolition survey (also known as R&D survey or RDS).
What is a management survey?
A management survey will be required during the normal occupation and use of the building, property or structure, to ensure the continued management of the ACMs in that area. It is a standard survey, and its purpose is to locate, as far as is reasonably practicable, the presence and extent of any suspect ACMs, which could be damaged or disturbed during the normal occupancy.
What is a refurbishment or demolition survey?
Who should carry out the surveys?
In principle, a survey can be carried out by anyone competent to do so. However, in practice, it would ALWAYS be strongly advisable to use a UKAS accredited asbestos surveying company. This way you should hopefully ensure the survey you need is undertaken properly.The surveyors of these companies should:
- have sufficient training, qualifications, knowledge, experience and ability to carry out the duties in relation to the survey and to recognise their limitations,
- have sufficient knowledge of the specific tasks to be undertaken and the risks which the work will involve,
- be able to demonstrate independence, impartiality and integrity,
- operate to an adequate quality management system, and
- carry out the survey in accordance to the recommended guidance and standard.
Asbestos is dangerous and you need to manage it appropriately. Step one is finding the asbestos and that’s achieved through surveys.
If you believe your commercial or private property may have asbestos, you have a responsibility to manage it. ESSS, a UKAS and ISO accredited asbestos consultancy, is equipped to determine the extent of your asbestos situation and develop a plan for the management and/or removal of it. Contact us today at 01268 755 464 or by visiting http://www.esss.co.uk/.