Asbestos Surveys: Your Questions Answered
Asbestos surveys are vital to ensuring the safety of occupants, workers and users in a building. Whether it’s a small flat or a huge commercial structure, if you have reason to believe there may be asbestos present it is important to have a survey carried out. However, many people are unsure about asbestos surveys and what they entail. Here are the answers to some of the most common questions:
What is an Asbestos Survey?
An asbestos survey is a way of identifying for certain whether there is asbestos in a building. More than this, it will provide you with specific details of where the asbestos is located within the structure of the building, and what type of asbestos is present. Furthermore, a survey will ascertain the condition of the asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) in the building, which can have a significant bearing on health and safety and on the steps that need to be taken.
What Does a Survey Entail?
An asbestos survey is a specialist process that can only be carried out by competent, qualified surveyors. Samples will be taken from places where asbestos might be found. These will then be professionally analysed in order to determine details of any asbestos that might be present. After this, a survey report will then be produced, providing you with the results in detail so that you can take further steps to deal with any asbestos that is found. The information from the report can also be compiled into an asbestos risk register – a document containing details of asbestos and related risks throughout a building. This is a vital part of ongoing risk management for buildings containing asbestos.
Why are Asbestos Surveys Necessary?
Asbestos can present a significant health risk for users of a building when not properly handled. An asbestos survey will allow you to know for absolute certain whether asbestos is present, and provide you with detailed information that will help you take the necessary steps to mitigate the danger. By knowing what type of asbestos is present, where it is, and what condition it is in you will be able to carry out a risk assessment and form a management plan to deal with the risk effectively.
Do I Need an Asbestos Survey?
Even if you suspect that there is asbestos in your premises, there is no legal requirement that you have a survey. However, it is very strongly recommended. Asbestos can present a significant health risk to residents, employees, or even visitors to a building. If you believe that there may be asbestos in a building, an asbestos survey will give you a definitive answer. This will either give you peace of mind if no asbestos is found, or enable you to deal with the risks and manage them effectively to prevent problems in the future.