Asbestos_Survey is sometimes referred to as Fire Risk Assessment, Fire Safety, Fire Risk Assessment, Fire Risk Assessment, Fire Risk Assessment.

Asbestos Surveys Across the UK

What Is Asbestos?

The trade and use of asbestos has been restricted or banned in many jurisdictions in the UK. Asbestos is basically a set of six naturally occurring silicate minerals used for their desirable physical properties. Though mined from rock, when broken down it breaks apart into tiny fibres.

There are 6 types of asbestos - but only 3 have been widely used in building materials: white (Chrysotile), brown (Amosite) and blue (Crocidolite). Strictly speaking blue is the most dangerous, followed by brown and then white.

Asbestos Legislation

Employers must undertake risk assessments before commencing work which exposes, or is liable to expose, employees to asbestos. This risk assessment must include:

• A plan of work detailing how the work is to be carried out
• Indication of any asbestos-related issues
• Provide solutions to these issues
• How to prevent exposure to asbestos or reduce it to as low a level as is reasonably practicable

The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (Reg 4) places an explicit duty on those responsible (the duty holder) for any commercial premises to identify and manage asbestos containing materials that may be present in the property.

Where Can Asbestos Be Found?

• Toilet cisterns can contain asbestos-reinforced resin materials
• Insulation in floor and wall cavities, lofts and insulating boards
• Artex or similar decorative / textures coating on ceilings and sometimes walls
• External / internal wall panelling particularly around windows
• Water tanks can be made from asbestos cement and is often found in pre-1980 houses
• Flash Guards on fuse wires and panelling behind fuse boxes
• Sprayed fire insulation
• Floor tiles, mastics and sealants
• Pipe works, boilers, ducts and heat exchanges

What's Involved In An Asbestos Survey?

An asbestos management, or type 2, survey will have one of surveyors taken samples of suspected asbestos throughout a building before sending them off to a lab. Whilst at the property, each room and the materials used will be noted. If a room is locked or otherwise inaccessible this will be noted too as there will remain a possibility of asbestos within.

A refurbishment/demolition survey, formally a type 3 survey, will be, as the name suggests, more destruction than a management survey. This will involve a surveyor accessing areas where future work is to be undertaken by knocking through a wall or drilling into floor slabs. This is to ensure that when the property is destroyed or altered that the next team in won't risk tampering with asbestos themselves that could be damaging to their health.

Surveyor Qualifications

Our experienced asbestos team that covers the UK are qualified asbestos management, refurbishment and demolition surveyors for industrial, commercial and domestic buildings. We can also undertake a Commercial EPC at the same time to provide you with a cost-effective package deal where needed.

Each member of our asbestos team are holders of the BOHS (British Occupational Hygiene Society) P402 qualification - the statutory proficiency certificate in 'Building Surveys and Bulk Sampling for Asbestos'. Our experienced and professional consultants are here to help so if you have any queries please call us on 0800 043 8100 or send your query to Asbestos-Survey@e2consultants.co.uk.