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Asbestos surveys - the legal framework:
The Control of Asbestos Regulations (CAR) 2006  - Regulation 4 places an explicit duty on those who are responsible for a premises to assess and manage the risks from asbestos.  The HSE expects those who own or lease properties (called duty holders) to:
  • take reasonable steps to find asbestos materials in their premises
  • monitor the condition of known asbestos materials
  • assess the risk of exposure from asbestos and to document the actions necessary to mitigate the risk
  • take steps to ensure that the above actions are carried out

The first step in this process is ensuring that up-to-date information is available.  This is usualy achieved by undertaking an asbestos survey. 

Types of asbestos survey

Health and Safety Executive guidance document MDHS264: Asbestos - The Survey Guide details two types of asbestos survey.  These have replaced the previous descriptions detailed in MDHS 100 with Type 1 surveys effectively being discontinued.  Briefly, these are:

Management Survey

The purpose of this type of survey is to locate as far as reasonably practical all asbestos materials within a premises in order that they can be suitably managed.  Representative samples of suspect materials are collected and sent for analsyis.

Type 3: Demolition survey

Even though a Management (or Type 1 or 2 survey) has been undertaken at a premises, if major works are planned then a Demolition survey MUST be undertaken.  The findings of this type of survey can be used as the basis for tendering for asbestos removal activities on the site.


Post survey requirements

An asbestos survey in itself does not fulfill all the requirements of Regulation 4, but provides the basic information that those in control of a property can manage the asbestos therein.  in order to manage the risk from asbestos the duty holder will need to:

  • keep and maintain an up-to-date record of location, condition, maintenance and removal of all ACMs on the site
  • repair, seal or remove, if there is a risk of exposure an ACM due to its condition or location
  • maintain the ACM in a good state of repair and regularly monitor its condition (minimum of annually is recommended by HSE)
  • inform anyone who is likley to disturb the ACM about its location and condition
  • prepare and implement arrangements so that if any work is being planned which will disturb the ACM, it complies with CAR 2006
  • Review the plan at regular intervals and make changes to the plan and arrangements if circumstances change

 

NG Associates can help you achieve compliance with all these requirements by:

1. Undertaking all types of survey

2. preparing management plans

3.providing asbestos awareness training for employees