Making Asbestos Checks On Your Property
Last Updated on 10 October 2023
What is involved in making checks for asbestos?
Are you wondering if you need to make checks for asbestos on your property and what exactly is involved?
Well, an asbestos check is generally sampling a material, to see if it contains asbestos. This can be a standalone event where you sample one specific item or product within a property. Or it can be part of a more thorough survey of a property.
Contractors, lenders and property purchasers generally wish to know if asbestos is present before they work on a material or before they buy a property.
Please note that If you fail to disclose the existence of any asbestos that you are aware of in your home or apartment to a prospective buyer, then you risk future legal repercussions.
In the UK it is a legal requirement to have this information before contractors work on any property built before the year 2000.
Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral fibre which was commonly added to building products for a variety of reasons.
When the fibres are released and inhaled they can cause a number of medical conditions, particularly in the lungs. In the worst cases this can result in death.
Therefore, it’s essential that checks are made for the presence of asbestos in commercial buildings and in some residential properties.
When do I need to check my property for asbestos?
In the UK The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 covers all legal requirements concerning asbestos. Since Late 1999, when asbestos was finally banned in the UK, It is mandatory for all commercial premises to manage asbestos. This is generally done by having an asbestos survey completed first.
In you aren’t familiar with asbestos, people general use the terms asbestos survey, asbestos register and asbestos check to broadly mean the same thing.
Once you have an asbestos check or survey, this will then allow you to manage any asbestos you have within your commercial property.
If it’s a domestic property you control, then there is no requirement to manage asbestos or carry out any checks. This is because there’s no legal duty to keep asbestos information on domestic properties like your home.
Despite this, a survey conducted before renovation work begins will protect you and any tradespeople working on your project. An asbestos survey is becoming more and more necessary before buying a house.
The only time asbestos checks or a survey will be required is if you live in a property of multiple occupancy which has ‘common areas’ within. In this case, the duty to manage asbestos still applies and the duty generally falls to the landlord.
Who can help with carrying out asbestos checks?
Select a licenced asbestos survey provider if you believe there may be asbestos present in your building, or if you merely want a test to be performed on some suspect material.
When people’s health is at stake, it’s crucial to select a provider who is fully qualified and accredited in asbestos surveys & sampling.
A qualified asbestos surveyor can inspect the building for you and perform asbestos checks, sampling or surveys to determine the presence of asbestos.
Samples are sent to a laboratory for analysis and the results can be provided directly or as part of a larger report.
In most cases, the best course of action is a full survey of any property to determine all the places asbestos may be present.
Before you proceed in carrying out any renovations or demolitions on your property, asbestos surveyors will conduct testing/a survey and may advise professional removal of hazardous materials by an asbestos removal company.
RB Asbestos have performed this type of work for over 30 years throughout the UK.
What should an asbestos survey include?
In order to create a risk assessment, an asbestos register, and management plan, the asbestos checks and survey must yield enough data.
To determine if there are any asbestos-containing materials present or not, the survey is likely to require sampling and analysis.
Throughout the life of the property, different types of surveys may be required, and more than one may eventually be required.
The final surveyor’s report must be understandable, precise, and simple for users to access.
Caveats should be kept to a minimum, completely justified, approved, and included in a separate section of the report.
Each asbestos survey report must at the very least include:-
- The name of the surveyor carrying out the asbestos survey
- The survey’s executive summary
- Scope, date, and key results points
- Overall conclusions and suggestions
- Any additional actions
- The name of the lab performing the sample analysis
How often should asbestos checks be done?
Every time you or someone else (such as a tradesperson) works with materials containing asbestos, make sure to update the asbestos register.
To ensure that materials have not degraded, inspect them at least once a year. It’s essential that you keep asbestos records up to date to keep everyone safe.
In order to do this, check your asbestos register to see who will be performing these routine asbestos checks. Check when and why they are qualified to do the job, (such as having received training). And then ensure you update and date your asbestos management plan accordingly.
Whenever work may disturb asbestos materials, remind everyone, including employees and contractors, to check the asbestos register. The manager or supervisor must be consulted if any works are planned.
Contact RB Asbestos Surveyors today!
Do you need help with checking for the presence of asbestos in your property? Then let us help. Even if you just need advice on the best way to proceed, you can call us to ask about an asbestos check on your property.
RB Asbestos can help you with your asbestos related problem, by checking for the presence of asbestos materials, carrying out asbestos surveys and management plans nationwide.
Speak directly to one of our knowledgeable and helpful advisors for any further information, by calling RB Asbestos today on 0800 141 2676.
If you can’t speak to one of our advisors over the phone right now, you can also contact us online.
