0121 711 7110

Why do you need an asbestos survey?

In November 2006, new Control of Asbestos Regulations came into force, making the older Control of Asbestos At Work (CAWR 2002) obsolete. It is a legal requirement for all commercial premises built before year 2000 to have and maintain an asbestos register.

The aim of the asbestos regulations is to reduce the number of deaths from exposure to asbestos which is still increasing year on year.

There is no safe level of exposure to asbestos and medical experts agree that it only takes one fibre to cause the onset of Mesothelioma, the cancer also known as “Asbestosis”.

Asbestos is present in many materials used in the construction industry, often till as late as the 1990′s, so no building can be considered “asbestos free” until a thorough asbestos survey has been carried out and a register compiled by what the regulations describe as a “competent person”.

A competent person is somebody who has attended the proper training to conduct an asbestos survey and who has passed the associated examinations to become an asbestos surveyor.

The standards are laid down in this Health and Safety Executive publication: MDHS100 Qualified Asbestos Surveyors

As qualified asbestos surveyors and chartered building surveyors, we understand exactly how a building is constructed and where asbestos is most likely to be found. We also know the least likely places and therefore, we look harder than most asbestos surveyors!

(Actually, because we are building surveyors, we were responsible for putting the asbestos into the buildings in the first place and that’s why our experience is better than most).

What Happens During An Asbestos Survey

When Edgeworth Street conducts an asbestos survey, at least two surveyors will attend your premises and request to be shown around your building in order to familiarise themselves with the surroundings, obtain any relevant health and safety advice from your own personnel and to identify any risks associated with conducting the survey prior to commencement.

The asbestos survey starts on the outside of the building and we examine roof areas, walls, windows, infill panels etc., in an attempt to find any materials that might contain asbestos.

On the outside of buildings, we often identify asbestos in roof panels, felt roofing materials, guttering, vents, window and door sealant, fire doors and damp proof courses.

The asbestos surveyors will take digital photographs of  these materials for entry into the asbestos register, as below:

This image shows an asbestos cement roof of an industrial unit.

Asbestos cement roof panels are easy to identify and because of this, there is usually no need to sample the material.

Most asbestos roofs are perfectly safe and present no health risk to employees and visitors – unless they fall in on them!

Old joinery sealant often contained asbestos to give the product strength and durability.

Because any asbestos is contained safely within the matrix of the compound, it doesn’t present a health risk in most cases, as it’s virtually impossible to get any kind of asbestos fibre release.

The purpose of an asbestos survey is simply to identify the asbestos containing products, so that employers know where they are.

The felt damp proof course material used in many buildings constructed in the 1960′s, 70, 80′s and even 90′s often contained asbestos.

Because it’s not usually possible to sample a damp proof course for fear of breaching it, an asbestos surveyor will usually “presume” it to contain asbestos.

It presents no risk because damp proof courses are usually only disturbed when a building is demolished – and even then, the material is usually quite stable and the risk of fibre release is low.

Once the outside of the building has been surveyed, the surveyors then move inside to continue their investigations.

Discreet Asbestos Surveys

Our asbestos surveyors never tell staff that they are conducting an asbestos survey unless the employer has already informed them.

Although our surveys present no danger to staff, because of the care we take when conducting the surveys, people are naturally scared of the word “asbestos”, so we feel that it’s best to say we’re conducting a building survey. That way, nobody gets unduly worried and you avoid awkward questions.

When conducting the internal part of the asbestos survey, our surveyors will need access to all areas of the building. This includes locked cupboards, WC’s and ceiling / roof voids.

The process is much the same as when conducting the external asbestos survey. We take digital photographs of any materials that could contain asbestos.

Most companies require only a simple “presumptive” survey for their premises. These surveys, which used to be known as a ”Type 1 Asbestos Surveys” are visual surveys only and no samples are taken to confirm or rule out the presence of asbestos. They are now called “Asbestos Management Surveys.”

A “Type 2 Asbestos Survey” involves taking samples of all materials that would otherwise be presumed to contain asbestos. These are also now called “Asbestos Management Surveys.”

A “Type 3 Asbestos Survey” is a full sampling and destructive survey that is necessary only prior to major building refurbishment or demolition. These surveys are now known as “Demolition Surveys”.

The revised 2006 asbestos regulations contain an important change. They now state that not only do you have to know where asbestos might be contained, but you also need to identify what type of asbestos it might be.

As there is no way to tell what type of asbestos is present in most materials by looking at them, this now means that more testing is required than previously and therefore, a type one and a half is now the best option for most premises.

For example, certain suspended ceiling tiles are known to have contained asbestos.

Typical suspended ceiling tile installation.

These tiles were sampled to rule out the presence of asbestos.

If we had presumed them to contain asbestos, the tenant would face increased maintenance charges each time they needed to change a light fitting or do work above the ceiling.

Sampling and testing saves money in cases like this.

It is not mandatory during a Type 1 Asbestos Survey means for the suspended ceiling tile to be sampled and it can be presumed to contain asbestos.

However, if it is presumed to contain asbestos, it has to be treated as though it does contain asbestos and this can create additional expense for you later on – because even something as simple as changing a light fitting suddenly becomes complicated, because there are certain safeguards that you have to undertake prior to doing any work.

So, in cases like this, it is easier and cheaper to sample the ceiling tile and get it analysed for the presence of asbestos.

Most ceiling tiles do NOT contain asbestos, so the idea is to rule out the fact that asbestos is present, not to prove that it is!

Once the surveyors have finished their on-site work, a report is then compiled and any samples that have been taken will be analysed by a specialist asbestos testing laboratory.

It usually two to three weeks before the report and register is complete and delivered to the client, though in urgent cases, the time scales can be escalated.

If you require an asbestos survey, please call David Carter or Robert Street on 0121 711 7110 or complete the form below:

To download an example asbestos register, please click here