What does an asbestos air testing and monitoring report contain?
The importation and use of asbestos has been banned in the UK since 1999, and for good reason. Inhalation or ingestion of this naturally occurring fibrous silicate mineral has long been connected to a heightened risk of developing potentially fatal health conditions, such as mesothelioma or asbestos-related lung cancer.
Given the several-decades-long latency period for the development of asbestos-related disease from the moment of exposure, it shouldn’t be a great surprise that some 5,000 deaths in the UK per year – even in the 2020s – are attributable to asbestos.
This severe risk, in turn, has led to the development of stringent legislation around asbestos and how it is managed in UK buildings where asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) are still present. These rules are largely set out in the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (CAR 2012).
Regulation 19 of CAR 2012 stipulates that employers must arrange the regular monitoring of airborne asbestos fibres, in addition to keeping records of the results. Such employers, then, should know about the importance of asbestos air testing and monitoring reports, as well as what these reports typically contain.
Below, we have explained all the key elements of these reports.
Overview of asbestos air testing and monitoring
As we referenced above, the UK now has strict laws concerning how asbestos is managed across the wide range of sites and premises (constructed or renovated before the year 2000) in which the mineral is still present.
Asbestos air testing and monitoring plays a vital role in ensuring compliance with such laws. It involves taking a sample of air from a particular location (or, in the case of personal sampling, from the air immediately surrounding a given person), followed by analysis of that sample for asbestos fibres. This process enables it to be determined what level of asbestos fibres may be in the air in the given room or other location.
The data that emerges from asbestos air testing and monitoring necessarily informs the decision-making process when it comes to the management of asbestos risks. This helps to ensure compliance with the “duty to manage” asbestos set out in CAR 2012, Regulation 4.
Comprehensive records and reporting of such processes as asbestos air testing will provide a crucial reference for such decision-making. CAR 2012 also makes clear that these records will need to be made available to employees or the regulator as required.
Key components of an asbestos air testing and monitoring report
Below, we have outlined the main sections you can expect to see in an asbestos air testing and monitoring report, as should be provided to you by the asbestos analyst that carries out this work at your site.
At the top of the report, you should see an executive summary. This will be followed by background information about the specific site and context, as well as information about the sampling strategy and analytical methods used, among other elements.
Each and every one of these sections of the report will play a crucial role in providing a complete and accurate account of the testing and monitoring process. This will enable you to be utterly confident that you will subsequently be taking all the right steps to achieve legal compliance and keep people safe.
Executive summary
The first section in an asbestos air testing and monitoring report should provide a brief summary of the report’s findings. This part of the report should comprise key results and conclusions, together with recommendations for action based on the findings.
Background information
There is a very wide range of sites at which asbestos air testing and monitoring is typically carried out. So, the report that your analyst supplies to you should provide a description of the site where testing took place, as well as the context for arranging such testing.
The location of the site should be stated, and a description given of the premises. The specific reason for the testing will also need to be stated. You may, for example, have simply arranged routine monitoring, instead of testing in response to an acute perceived risk (for example, immediately after an incident of asbestos disturbance). Alternatively, the test may have been carried out for verification purposes after asbestos abatement work at that location.
If there are any previous asbestos surveys or reports for the location where asbestos air testing has been carried out, an overview of these should also be provided in the report.
Sampling strategy
The process of taking a sample of air may seem relatively consistent almost regardless of the specific reason for arranging asbestos air testing. However, there are various aspects of the sampling methodology in the case of any asbestos air monitoring project, that the accompanying report will need to address.
One of those aspects will be the specific type of samples taken.
- An employer may arrange static air testing, for example, which – as we have written about in the past – is a form of asbestos air testing aimed at measuring the level of airborne asbestos fibres in a specific environment.
- This differs from personal air testing (also known as “personal sampling”), which is carried out on an individual person. This form of asbestos air monitoring is undertaken in order to assess the concentration of asbestos fibres the individual is likely to be inhaling in their immediate surroundings.
The report’s detailed explanation of the sampling methodology should also encompass the rationale for the chosen sample locations and the number of samples chosen. Furthermore, a description should be provided of the sampling equipment used.
Details will need to be provided in the report, too, in relation to the sampling plan and timeline. Such information should include the dates and times of sampling, as well as the duration of the sampling periods (given that the process of taking the sample for asbestos air monitoring typically entails air being drawn through a filter for a certain measured time, thereby enabling airborne particles to be collected on the filter).
Analytical methods
Once the air sample has been collected, it will need to undergo microscopy examination. Various laboratory techniques are known to be used for the analysis of samples, with the exact choice depending on the nature of the tested space and the requirements of the employer.
Naturally, then, the asbestos air testing and monitoring report will need to explain the exact laboratory analysis methods that were used. Examples of commonly used methods include:
Phase contrast microscopy (PCM)
This is the standard method followed for the sampling and counting of airborne fibres. It involves – after sampling – the filter being mounted on a glass slide and rendered transparent, so that a known fraction of the filtered deposit can be examined, under magnification of at least 500x. It is a rapid and cost-effective method for counting fibres in the air.
Transmission electron microscopy (TEM)
In situations where a much greater level of magnification is desired – potentially 20,000x or even higher – the TEM methodology may be followed. In common with PCM, TEM entails ambient air being pumped into filtered air cassettes, followed by microscopy analysis.
As the name implies, though, TEM differs from PCM in that instead of a PCM microscope, it uses an electron microscope. This instrument scans the air cassette to identify the number of asbestos fibres present.
Scanning electron microscopy (SEM)
Business owners and duty managers with responsibility for high-traffic premises in which already-known asbestos is being managed in situ, may be especially likely to choose SEM analysis.
After all, one major drawback with PCM is that it cannot directly distinguish between asbestos and non-asbestos fibres. SEM, by contrast, is able to specifically detect asbestos fibres, including in settings where relatively low levels of asbestos may have been released over a protracted period of time.
SEM can magnify samples up to 200,000x, with the counting of fibres possible at 2000x. It has a limit of detection of 0.0005 fibres per cubic centimetre (f/cm3), compared to PCM’s 0.01 f/cm3.
Results
It is also essential, of course, for the asbestos air testing and air monitoring report that you receive to present the analytical results. This will need to take the form of summary tables of fibre concentrations, and detailed results for each sample.
Moreover, the report should set out an interpretation of these results. Included within this should be comparisons with regulatory limits and guidelines, as well as discussion of any exceedances or areas of concern.
Regulation 2 of CAR 2012 states a control limit of 0.1 f/cm3. Although this should not be regarded as a definitive guiding line between “safe” and “unsafe”, if concentrations of asbestos in the air at a particular location are below this, this would be considered a “reasonably safe” level.
Quality control and assurance
A description should be provided in the report of the exact quality control measures implemented during sampling and analysis.
Examples of such measures can include the steps that have been taken to suitably calibrate and maintain the specialised equipment necessary for asbestos air testing.
In the process of deciding on a particular asbestos air monitoring specialist, you will have also hopefully paid close attention to such aspects as laboratory accreditation, and the competency of the analyst carrying out this work. These, too, are aspects that should be detailed in the report, to assure the reader of the high standard of the work done.
In addition, the report should provide a summary of quality assurance findings. If, for example, there were any deviations from standard procedures, or if measures were taken to address potential sources of error, these should be noted in the documentation.
Discussion and recommendations
The final section of the asbestos air testing and monitoring report will need to provide an interpretation of the results in the context of conditions at the site. Alongside this, consideration should be given to the likely health implications of the concentrations of asbestos discovered at the tested location.
This can then be followed by recommendations for action, including:
- Immediate measures to be taken if asbestos levels are too high
- Strategies for the long-term monitoring and management of the site
- Any additional testing or remediation that may be needed.
Conclusion: never underestimate the importance of asbestos reporting
We have sought to make clear in this article the importance of thorough and accurate reporting, in any and all instances in which asbestos air testing and monitoring is carried out.
After all, the findings and recommendations outlined in the report will be essential for informing decision-making on how asbestos risks are managed at the given location. This, in turn, will be instrumental in efforts to adhere to the UK’s asbestos legislation while keeping building occupants and users safe.
If you are a building owner or duty manager who has arranged asbestos air testing and monitoring from a provider of this service such as Oracle Solutions, we would urge you to make sure you thoroughly review all aspects of the resultant report. Any necessary actions should then be taken in accordance with the report’s recommendations.
To find out more about our own asbestos air testing services and expertise, and to request a transparent and competitive quote, please enquire to Oracle Solutions’ professionals today.
Written by Brendan Coleman
Brendan Coleman, with decades of experience in the asbestos industry, is a dedicated Quality Manager. Certified as a surveyor and analyst, he is adept in operations and quality management with a keen focus on HSE compliance. His expertise is pivotal in maintaining high safety and efficiency standards. Brendan ensures our UKAS accreditation requirements are consistently met and exceeded, upholding stringent standards in asbestos remediation. His commitment to enhancing quality and customer satisfaction makes him an essential advisor in asbestos management.