Your Local Asbestos Survey Specialist

If you are considering the purchase of a property built prior to the year 2000 there is a possibility that it may contain asbestos. Not managed properly, asbestos can be a serious hazard to health and a financial liability. For these reasons we recommend a Pre-Purchase asbestos survey prior to the purchase of your property.

The purpose of the Pre-Purchase Asbestos Survey is to locate and identify any Asbestos Containing Materials (ACM’s) that could be disturbed during the day-to-day use of the property.  This is a visual survey of all surfaces and visible components that make up the property. Our surveyor will sample any suspect ACM’s where accessible and record the location, extent and condition of the suspect material. The material is photographed and the sample location recorded on a floorplan, this information is gathered electronically on site and is used alongside the sample analysis results and our recommendations to generate the Asbestos Survey Report. The report will be delivered to you by email in PDF format, typically within 1-2 working days following the survey.

The purpose of an asbestos management survey is to determine the presence, extent and condition of any Asbestos Containing Materials (ACM’s) that could be disturbed or damaged during the normal occupation of a building including any maintenance activities.

Typically, the asbestos management survey will include a visual inspection of all surfaces including ceilings, walls and floors as well as any areas that may require access during maintenance activities such as service risers and ducts. Any pipework, plant, machinery etc will also be assessed during the survey and accessed where safe to do so.

Throughout the visual inspection the surveyor will utilise their training and experience to assess whether any of the materials present have the potential to contain asbestos (eg. whether or not the material is of sufficient age and of a type known to have been manufactured utilising asbestos). If the surveyor determines that there is potential for a material to contain asbestos they will safely take a sample of the material under controlled conditions for later analysis at the laboratory.  

A refurbishment and demolition survey is needed before any refurbishment or
demolition work is carried out. This type of survey is used to locate and describe,
as far as reasonably practicable, all asbestos containing materials in the area where the refurbishment work
will take place or in the whole building if demolition is planned. The survey will be
fully intrusive and involve destructive inspection, as necessary, to gain access to all
areas, including those that may be difficult to reach. A refurbishment and demolition
survey may also be required in other circumstances, eg when more intrusive
maintenance and repair work will be carried out or for plant removal or dismantling.
Health & Safety Executive – HSG264

Non-Domestic premises & common areas of domestic premises such as purpose built flats and houses converted to flats:

If you own or are responsible for a commercial building (the ‘dutyholder’, typically the landlord or property manager) and your asbestos survey has identified the presence of asbestos, under The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 you have a duty to manage the risk from asbestos on the premises.

The Approved Code of Practice for The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 states that  ‘as a minimum, the management plan, including records and drawings, should be reviewed every 12 months’. The asbestos reinspection survey forms the basis of the review noting any deterioration of asbestos containing materials from weathering or damage etc.

Following the asbestos reinspection survey, a report will be issued to include the updated asbestos register. The register will also reflect any removal of asbestos containing materials that may have occured since the original survey.

Do you have a specific material that you would like testing for asbestos? Maybe a suspect material is holding up your refurbishment or demolition project? If so, give us a call, we’ll get to your site ASAP to sample the material and in most cases have the analysis results to you within 1-2 working days.