Asbestos management for the hospitality industry
Many hotels, restaurants, and other hospitality establishments were built or renovated before the year 2000. This means that there is a higher risk that asbestos may still be present in the buildings, as it was not outlawed in the UK until November 1999.
In the hospitality industry, asbestos surveys are crucial for maintaining the safety and health of both employees and guests. These surveys are designed to uncover the location and type of asbestos on site, as well as to assess their condition to learn whether they pose a risk to health. Common areas to find asbestos in hospitality premises include ceiling tiles, insulation, flooring, roofing and HVAC systems.
With so many people coming in and out of your business, it’s imperative you maintain the highest standards of asbestos health and safety. Fortunately, partnering with contractors like AMC Asbestos makes upholding asbestos law and ensuring there is no risk to health from asbestos fibres straightforward.
Asbestos surveys
We offer a range of asbestos surveys, tailored to our clients’ requirements, and offer ongoing asbestos management support, if required.
Asbestos management survey
An asbestos management survey is the most common service we offer to the hospitality sector. These identify the location and type of asbestos present in buildings that are in regular use. It also assesses the condition of these asbestos containing materials (ACMs) and identifies any area of risk.
The non-intrusive inspection might also include sampling of materials for further laboratory testing to assess their condition. Following the survey, you will receive a full report, comprehensive Asbestos Register entry, and recommendations for managing any ACMs.
In a hotel, for example, areas like ceilings, walls, pipes, and HVAC systems may contain asbestos. These materials could be disturbed during routine maintenance and cause a risk to life. An asbestos management survey would locate these ACMs, assess their condition, and offer advice for risk management and possible removal as required.
Re-inspection
Once ACMs have been identified in your premises, you have a legal duty to manage them and ensure they do not pose a hazard to health. Re-inspection surveys, typically completed annually, revisit the ACMs for assessment. This will make sure they are still in a safe condition and have not deteriorated.
In areas of high use and places that experience regular maintenance, it is more likely that the materials can degrade or be damaged in some way. A hotel’s maintenance area, for example, is a common location for the use of ACMs. Re-inspecting these materials regularly will make sure they remain intact and safe for use.
Refurbishment
Having a modern, well cared for premises is vital for successful hospitality businesses. This often requires extensive refurbishment work. If the building could contain asbestos, it is the law to have a refurbishment survey conducted by a fully qualified asbestos professional before any work begins.
Some asbestos containing materials are in places that are not usually accessible during the normal use of a premises. However, when work begins, these areas can be exposed, and previously unknown ACMs could pose a threat.
An asbestos refurbishment survey will thoroughly inspect all planned work areas, including hard to reach spaces to ensure there is no asbestos likely to be disturbed during the renovations. If any asbestos is discovered, the survey report will suggest how to safely manage it during the refurbishment.
Demolition
In some cases, hospitality businesses need to completely demolish buildings and structures on their land. As with refurbishment surveys, a demolition survey is a legal requirement ahead of any work to discover if there are any hidden ACMs anywhere on the premises.
These invasive surveys inspect the whole site for previously unknown asbestos containing materials to prevent accidental exposure during construction work. If discovered, these ACMs can be safely removed before the demolition work begins.
Asbestos management plan
Your asbestos management plan (AMP) is an essential document for ensuring the continuous safety, legal compliance, and proper management of asbestos risks in any building. Following an asbestos inspection, the surveyor will report their findings to you, and their recommendations will form the basis for your updated AMP.
A comprehensive asbestos management plan will include an identification of any asbestos containing materials. It will detail the type of asbestos present and its location within the property.
Once identified, a risk assessment will be conducted on each piece of asbestos. This will determine its condition, whether it’s a risk to health, and inform the recommended actions going forward.
The asbestos management plan will outline the strict control measures necessary to safely manage on-site asbestos. These can include:
- Maintaining ACMs in good condition
- Sealing or encapsulating ACMs
- Setting up clear warning signs in areas with asbestos
- Providing safety training for staff working in or around asbestos containing areas
- Regular reviews and re-inspections to ensure ongoing safety
- Action plans: when ACMs are at risk of being disturbed, an action plan for their safe removal or remediation is included
Meeting your legal responsibilities
The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (CAR 2012) mandates that any building or structure with asbestos-containing materials needs an asbestos management plan and regular surveys to ensure safety. Failure to comply could result in legal consequences, including large fines and even jail time.
Proper, legally compliant management of any on-site asbestos ensures that all visitors, staff and contractors in your premises are protected from exposure to the harmful fibres. Identifying and maintaining asbestos also helps boost public confidence and customer trust, as they know you are proactively meeting health and safety standards.
Remediation work to maintain or seal asbestos containing materials is much more cost effective than removing them completely. Regular maintenance ensures the materials remain in a safe, stable condition and helps keep costs down while meeting health and safety law. Knowing the locations and condition of asbestos on the site also helps prevent delays to any renovation work.
AMC Asbestos are accredited asbestos surveyors with over a decade of industry experience. We have supported hospitality businesses across the UK and Ireland to confidently meet their asbestos obligations and protect the health of every person who visits or works on the premises. If you would like to arrange an asbestos survey, or need support with asbestos management, please get in touch.
