Asbestos has been used in over 3,600 different products, ranging from floor tiles and decorative textured coatings to pipe insulations and fire resistant boarding.
With the Care of Asbestos at Work Regulations in 2002 (CAWR2002) the Government introduced responsibilities to manage asbestos risks in non domestic properties and to ensure that adequate investigations are carried out prior to any works that may expose people to asbestos, i.e. refurbishment, demolition etc. in both domestic and non domestic situations.
CAWR 2002 was superseded by Care of Asbestos Regulations 2006 which served to reinforce these duties.
There are three different levels of survey that can be carried out:
Type 1: Location and assessment survey (presumptive survey)
The purpose of the survey is to locate the presence and extent of any suspect asbestos containing materials in the building and assess their condition. It is called a presumptive survey as no samples of materials are taken. Any material which can reasonably be expected to contain asbestos are presumed to contain asbestos. All materials which are presumed to contain asbestos are assessed.
Type 2: Standard sampling, identification and assessment survey (sampling survey)
This is the most common survey carried out for the management of asbestos in buildings. The purpose and procedures used in this survey are the same as for Type 1, except thatrepresentative samples are collected and analysed for the presence of asbestos. The Client then knows for certain whether the material contains asbestos and therefore can avoid the cost of managing potentially non asbestos material.
Type 3: Full access sampling and identification survey (pre-demolition/ refurbishment surveys)
This type of survey is used to locate and describe, as far as reasonably practicable, all asbestos containing materials in the building and may involve destructive inspection, as necessary, to gain access to all areas, including those that may be difficult to reach. The survey is designed to be used as a basis for tendering the removal of asbestos containing materials from the building prior to demolition or refurbishment and to ensure that any works do not cause exposure to asbestos fibres or materials.
SL can carry out all types of survey and our surveyors are fully trained to current Government and HSE recommendations and hold at least the British Institute of Occupational Hygiene's P402 certificate. All our surveys, sampling and reports are carried out to these same standards (as detailed in MDHS100 and HSG248).
Having a survey carried out is only the first stage of ensuring compliance with the Regulations. Once a survey has been carried out the material identified must be audited and records kept of those audits. Also clear steps are required in terms of 'duty of care' and responsibilities including emergency situations arranging asbestos awareness training for those people who may come into contact with asbestos.
SL can create and implement a bespoke asbestos management plan and system. Through working with many of our clients we have established many cutting edge approaches to the problems that can be faced, whether it be managing a single premises to a diverse portfolio SL can create a management solution to meet your needs.
4thought is SL`s online asbestos management programme. It has been designed with a leading software developer to meet all asbestos management demands in a simple user friendly approach.
