Meyer Southern Ltd carried out an asbestos refurbishment survey at Dorchester Middle School on Coburg Road, Dorchester, Dorset, DT1, ahead of planned works to the school buildings.
The survey was commissioned to identify any asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) that could be disturbed during the proposed works, so the right precautions could be put in place before anything started.
Schools carry a particular responsibility here. Pupils, staff and visiting contractors all use the same buildings, which makes knowing what sits in the fabric of the building before work begins a priority rather than a formality.
What the Survey Covered
Our surveyor began by reviewing the planned works and the parts of the school they would affect. Every area where the building fabric was due to be disturbed was brought into scope.
A refurbishment survey is intrusive by design. Where materials sat behind finishes, above ceilings or within the structure, the surveyor opened up to reach them, because a material missed at survey stage is one a contractor finds with a power tool later.
The scope was set against the school’s planned works, so the survey and the project were built around the same areas.
How the Survey Was Carried Out
Every Asbestos Survey Dorset project we run follows the same standards. Our surveyors are qualified to BOHS P402 standard or higher, and this survey was carried out in line with HSG264 and the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012.
Each area within scope was inspected and recorded, with samples taken where suspect materials were identified. All samples went to a UKAS-accredited laboratory for analysis, so the results came back as confirmed findings rather than a surveyor’s judgement call.
Any openings made during the intrusive inspections were made good afterwards, leaving the building as it was before the works programme began.
Reporting and Handover
The school received a survey report covering every area inspected, setting out the location, type and condition of any ACMs found, supported by the laboratory results.
That report is what the contractors work from. It allows the works to be priced and programmed accurately, and it shows where control measures are needed before anything is disturbed.
For a school, it also means works can be planned around the people using the building, with no risk of asbestos turning up mid-project and forcing areas to close unexpectedly.
Project Outcome
The survey was completed to the agreed scope and the report issued ahead of the planned works.
A refurbishment survey is a legal requirement before intrusive works to buildings that may contain asbestos, and the main safeguard between contractors and unplanned exposure to asbestos fibres. With the report in hand, the school could put the right precautions in place and move forward knowing what was in the building.
Asbestos was not fully banned in the UK until 1999, and it was widely used in school buildings, so many schools across Dorchester and the wider county still hold ACMs in ceiling tiles, wall panels, insulation board, floor tiles and pipework. Surveys ahead of alterations, renovations and the removal of fixtures and fittings are a regular part of the work we carry out for education and public sector clients.
Meyer Southern carries out refurbishment surveys on domestic, commercial, industrial and public sector properties, with the scope of each one set against the client’s proposed works.
Contact Us for All Your Asbestos Dorset Needs
Planning refurbishment, alteration or maintenance works? For a professional Asbestos Survey Dorset service, get in touch with Meyer Southern Ltd. We are known across the region for fast response, accurate quotations, expert workmanship and on-budget delivery.
We also cover Asbestos Surveys Dorchester and the surrounding towns.
Where materials need dealing with once the survey is complete, we provide Asbestos Removal Dorset.
To book your survey or discuss a project, use our contact form, email admin@meyerenvironmental.co.uk, or call 0239 307 2182.
