Asbestos Management Surveys
AMC Asbestos have conducted thousands of asbestos management surveys all over the UK and Ireland. For over 10 years, the AMC team have helped businesses, public sector organisations and homeowners safely manage asbestos.
An asbestos management survey will ensure that any asbestos on site has been properly identified, and its condition assessed. This will allow for its safe maintenance and make sure that no asbestos fibres are exposed during normal building use or during site repairs.
When conducted by a professional, the survey will include non-intrusive inspection, sampling, and creating a comprehensive Asbestos Register report with recommendations for managing ACMs. Sampling is required if a surveyor suspects a material may contain asbestos but cannot confirm with a visual inspection, typically for tiles, insulation or pipe lagging. These samples will be sent to a certified laboratory for analysis before the full survey report can be completed.
If you are looking for an experienced partner to support your business with asbestos management, we’d love to hear from you. When you choose AMC Asbestos for your management surveys, we guarantee to keep everyone on your site safe from asbestos exposure and ensure your compliance with UK legislation.
When are asbestos management surveys required?
Asbestos management surveys are required at regular intervals to monitor and manage asbestos containing materials (AMCs) over time. The frequency of these surveys will depend on the type, age and location of the material. Typically, these will occur every 6 to 12 months, but a surveyor will be able to discuss the need to re-inspect with you following the initial visit to the site.
Management surveys are a requirement in occupied buildings where people regularly spend time. We visit schools, offices, public buildings, businesses and industrial premises to conduct inspections. Any non-domestic building built before the year 2000 potentially contains asbestos materials, as it was constructed before legislation outlawed its use.
You will also need to have a professional conduct an asbestos survey if your building is undergoing routine maintenance or repairs where ACMs might be disturbed. You can learn more about our refurbishment services, here.
Who can carry out the survey?
Only an accredited asbestos surveyor or consultant with the necessary training should carry out the survey. They have the knowledge and experience to correctly identify asbestos containing materials and to assess the risks associated with them.
All our asbestos surveyors hold asbestos safety accreditations and have years of experience working with the hazardous material. We are also able to offer training to your duty holders and team members who are likely to encounter the asbestos containing materials. This face-to-face training will show your staff where the ACMs are and how to deal with them in an emergency.
What will the survey include?
All asbestos management surveys will include the key elements required under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (CAR 2012). It will ensure that the site’s duty holder complies with the requirements to protect the health of building occupants and workers from the risks of asbestos exposure.
Firstly, it will identify any asbestos containing materials on the site and assess their condition. This is the primary focus of the survey. This information can then be used to create an ongoing management plan which will determine the next steps for the site.
If the asbestos is in good condition and is unlikely to be disturbed, the risk is low, and it can remain in place with ongoing monitoring. Regular re-inspections are required to ensure there is no degeneration of the material that risks asbestos fibres being released into the air. If the condition or location means the asbestos cannot remain, our surveyors will guide you through the process to secure it and help you manage its safe removal.
The procedure
An asbestos management survey is a non-intrusive inspection of your premises. A surveyor will conduct a thorough investigation of your site to locate accessible ACMs. They will check walls, ceilings, floors, pipework, ducts and other spaces where asbestos was commonly used.
It is possible that during the survey, samples will need to be taken. If the surveyor believes there might be asbestos present but cannot confirm with a visual inspection, they will take a small sample for laboratory analysis. This will be done safely to ensure there is no risk of exposure.
Where ACMs are identified, the survey will include professional risk assessment for their condition. The surveyor will determine whether the ACMs are in good condition or if they are damaged or deteriorating and could lead to exposure.
The findings of the survey will then be documented in an Asbestos Register. It will list the location, type, and condition of all identified ACMs. This register is a key document for managing asbestos risks within the building and it is a legal obligation to keep it up to date.
Post survey report and required actions
Following an asbestos management survey, you will receive a report and details of any required actions. We make it very easy for our clients to safely manage any on site asbestos, ensuring there is no risk of exposure to fibres. We also simplify the process of meeting asbestos regulations so companies can be sure they are legally compliant.
Included in our asbestos management survey is detailed information on the location of asbestos containing materials on the premises. The materials will be classified according to whether they are friable (easily damaged, such as sprayed coatings or insulation) or non-friable (less likely to release fibres, such as floor tiles or asbestos cement).
Information will be given about the condition of the materials, and any that are damaged or deteriorating will be flagged for urgent intervention. This will form the basis of the risk assessment and dictate the recommended management actions.
There are a variety of common actions we recommend to clients following an asbestos management review. These include leaving the materials in place and routinely monitoring their condition, repairing or sealing them, or removing them entirely.
Following our survey of your premises, we can review your asbestos management plan (AMP) for you, or work with your duty holder to update it with our recommended actions. Annual re-inspections are standard for ACMs in good condition and any changes to them should be documented in the plan.
Where removal is deemed necessary, we can support you through the whole process. We are independent of all asbestos removal companies, so we can offer the best solution for your premises and ensure you are fairly charged for the work.
Your legal responsibilities
Regulation 4 of Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (CAR 2012) mandates that the duty holder (typically the building owner, employer, or building manager) is responsible for ensuring that asbestos risks are managed in non-domestic properties.
But that does not mean you have to do it alone. In fact, the legislation states that the survey and any resulting work must be conducted by a competent person with relevant training and experience in handling asbestos.
Failure to comply with asbestos management legislation puts lives at risk. The legal penalties are high to reflect the danger to life that asbestos exposure poses. An unlimited fine can be handed to the guilty party, and individuals can even face prison time.
Non-compliance with asbestos regulations unnecessarily puts lives at risk, particularly when reputable support from AMC Asbestos is readily available. Contact one of our team today to discuss your company and its asbestos management requirements.
