The duty to manage asbestos is contained in regulation 4 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006.
It requires the person who has the duty to:
- take reasonable steps to find out if there are materials containing asbestos in non-domestic premises, and if so, its amount, where it is and what condition it is in;
- presume materials contain asbestos unless there is strong evidence that they do not;
- make, and keep up-to-date, a record of the location and condition of the asbestos containing materials - or materials which are presumed to contain asbestos;
- assess the risk of anyone being exposed to fibres from the materials identified;
- prepare a plan that sets out in detail how the risks from these materials will be managed;
- take the necessary steps to put the plan into action;
- periodically review and monitor the plan and the arrangements to act on it so that the plan remains relevant and up-to-date; and
- provide information on the location and condition of the materials to anyone who is liable to work on or disturb them
In order to comply with that duty to first step is to have a building surveyed for the presence of asbestos containing materials from which a management plan can be formulated.
There are 2 types of survey that can be carried out
Management Survey used to locate and manage asbestos materials
Demolition or Refurbishment Survey a more intensive destructive survey, carried out in unoccupied areas before demolition or major refurbishment of part or all of a building/property
It is vital that these surveys are carried out by highly experienced surveyors who have the knowledge of where asbestos would have been installed and are backed up with quality PI insurance.
Asbestos Abatement Services can carry out both these types of survey and provide on completion a clear and concise survey report detailing the findings both in written and electronic format.
