Asbestos Survey

An Asbestos Management Survey (formerly known as Type 1 and Type 2 Asbestos Surveys) is generally the principal method of determining the presence and/or extent of Asbestos Containing Materials (ACMs) in a property.

Its purpose is to locate, as far as reasonably practicable, the presence and extent of any suspect ACMs in the building which could be damaged or disturbed during normal occupancy, including foreseeable maintenance and installation, and to assess their condition.
Management surveys will often involve minor intrusive work and some disturbance. The extent of intrusion will vary between premises and depend on what is reasonably practicable for individual properties, i.e. it will depend on factors such as the type of building, the nature of construction, accessibility etc. A management survey should include an assessment of the condition of the various ACMs and their ability to release fibres into the air if they are disturbed in some way. This ‘material assessment’ will give a good initial guide to the priority for managing ACMs as it will identify the materials which will most readily release airborne fibres if they are disturbed. The survey will usually involve sampling and analysis to confirm the presence or absence of ACMs. However, a management survey can also involve presuming the presence or absence of asbestos. A management survey can be completed using a combination of sampling ACMs and presuming ACMs or, indeed, just presuming. Any materials presumed to contain asbestos must also have their condition assessed (i.e. a material assessment).

Re-Inspection Surveys are necessary on non-domestic buildings in particular, where a previous survey has found the presence of Asbestos Containing Materials (ACMs). As ACMs can degrade or become damaged over time, the premises should be inspected regularly to ensure they have not deteriorated. The recommendation from HSE is that all Asbestos Registers and Management Plans should be monitored and reviewed at least annually, or whenever remedial, refurbishment, or demolition work is to be carried out.

For this type of survey to be undertaken an existing asbestos survey or asbestos register should be in place. The asbestos surveyor will use the existing information to locate previous identified asbestos products and reassess its condition. The survey report itself will include new photographs of those materials together with a new recommendation on how to safely manage those materials.

A Demolition/Refurbishment Asbestos Survey becomes necessary when any major structural works are planned to a premises. It locates and describes, insofar as reasonably practicable, all instances of asbestos in the building. It may involve destructive inspection to gain access to all areas, especially those that are difficult to reach.

The Asbestos Survey Report that follows will detail the specific findings regarding discovery of ACMs, and recommendations for their removal and disposal prior to the commencement of structural work.