Asbestos Surveys in Newcastle

Regulation 4 of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (CAR 2012) sets out a “duty to manage” asbestos at non-domestic premises. A key element of this duty is to take reasonable steps to determine whether asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) are present at the given site – and if so, where those ACMs are. There is also a legal obligation to uncover information about the amount and condition of any such materials.

An asbestos survey is the typical way to fulfil this legal duty. It takes the form of an inspection of the given property or building. There are three types of asbestos survey depending on the specific circumstances at the time of the survey – asbestos management surveys, refurbishment surveys, and demolition surveys.

All three types of asbestos survey should be geared towards discovering the extent and amount of asbestos at the given site. Furthermore, an asbestos survey should detail information about the condition and any associated risks arising from these materials.

There are a few different situations in which an asbestos survey might be needed. You may be working on or in a Newcastle or North East England property that was constructed or refurbished prior to the year 2000.

Asbestos was only banned in the UK in all its forms in 1999. So, an asbestos survey can be crucial for finding out where ACMs might be present in a property, as well as the material’s extent, type, and condition.

Even if you are simply in control of such a building, rather than directly working on it, the asbestos regulations put in place a legal duty to control the risks that might arise due to asbestos on your site. By finding out the aforementioned information, you will be able to take informed steps to control such risks.

There are four fundamental stages to an asbestos survey, whatever the type of survey undertaken:

1. The asbestos surveyor will gather extensive information from you, including your reasons for seeking out an asbestos survey, details of the building, and any access issues they might come across, such as locked doors.
2. The asbestos surveyor will visit the premises to carry out the survey. The type of survey requested will largely dictate what the inspection involves. As a general rule, though, our asbestos surveyors will scrutinise every area of your building.
3. In the event of the surveyor discovering materials that they suspect are asbestos, they will take a small sample – typically around the size of a 50p coin – and arrange for it to be sent to a laboratory for specialised testing and analysis.
4. The asbestos survey report will then be produced. These reports are usually delivered in an electronic form, and consist of photographs, plans, and sample results. Please feel free to consult our previous guide to what asbestos survey reports normally contain.

When you arrange to have an asbestos survey report produced by us, we will have it quality checked before sending it to you. We will then reach out to you to discuss the report recommendations, as well as the next steps that you may wish to take.