UKAS accredited asbestos surveys – management, refurbishment and demolition, and re-inspection surveys for domestic, commercial and industrial premises.
First Environment is a UKAS accredited Inspection Body to EN ISO/IEC 17020:2012 for undertaking Re-inspection, Management and Refurbishment and Demolition Surveys for asbestos in domestic, commercial and industrial premises.
From single premises to extensive property portfolios our survey team has extensive experience in assisting clients to locate the asbestos containing materials that may be present.
What type of survey is required?
For buildings built after the year 1999 it is unlikely that asbestos will be present or have been used, as asbestos use was prohibited in 1999. If built on a brownfield site or if old equipment has been relocated to the premises these factors need consideration as they can increase the chance of asbestos being present even in post-1999 buildings.
For buildings built or refurbished in the UK before the year 2000, steps to identify any asbestos present are required and although this can sometimes be found from construction information, usually an asbestos survey is required. The type of survey is determined by the planned use and activities.
Management Surveys
The purpose of the management survey is to manage asbestos-containing materials (ACM) during the normal occupation and use of premises. Any UK building constructed before the year 2000 should have an Asbestos Management Survey. The purpose of surveying is to make a ‘materials assessment’: to find ACM and record what it is, where it is and how much there is; to record how accessible it is, its condition and any surface treatment; and to record the asbestos type, by sampling or by presuming.
Refurbishment / demolition surveys
A refurbishment and/or demolition survey is required where there are works planned that go beyond the normal occupation and use of the building. This applies equally for small and large projects. The survey must locate and identify all asbestos containing materials before any structural work begins and the scope is usually limited to the area of works planned, as it involves destructive inspection and possible asbestos disturbance.
Re-inspection Surveys
The Control of Asbestos Regulations require that the condition of asbestos-based products is inspected regularly and records updated accordingly. Re-inspection is typically undertaken at least every twelve months, or more frequently for high risk materials, and is carried out by BOHS qualified surveyors under our UKAS accreditation.
Surveys for domestic premises
The ‘duty to manage asbestos’ requirements do not normally apply to domestic premises, but they do apply to the common parts of premises such as housing developments and blocks of flats – for example foyers, corridors, lifts and lift shafts, staircases, boiler rooms, risers, gardens and out buildings.