UKAS Accredited Asbestos Survey Types

Asbestos surveys are the inspection of a property or building with the aim of locating and identifying asbestos containing materials. There are three types of asbestos survey. An asbestos management survey, an asbestos refurbishment survey and an asbestos demolition survey. Any type of asbestos survey should detail the exact location of the asbestos containing materials. The survey should detail the extent and amount of asbestos. The surveyor must also include the condition of the asbestos they identify, detailing any potential risk associated with its condition.

Once this information has been gathered (location, extent, condition, material, and asbestos type), the asbestos surveyor must carry out a risk assessment of any asbestos that has been identified.

The asbestos survey material risk assessment will detail any risk of potential asbestos fibre release which could lead to asbestos exposure. This assessment will take into consideration the purpose of the asbestos survey. Be that an asbestos management survey, a refurbishment or demolition survey.

Asbestos surveys are undertaken for several reasons which are discussed in the ‘asbestos survey type’ section. Whatever the reason for the asbestos survey, the risk assessment should highlight the dangers, and should be relevant to your needs. Having identified the risks, the survey should give you recommendations on how to proceed. These recommendations should be tailored to you and in line with why you had the survey conducted.

Oracle provide asbestos surveying services in accordance with HSE guidance HSG264 Asbestos: The Survey Guide and HSG248 Asbestos: The analysts’ guide for sampling, analysis and clearance procedures. These guidance notes which ensure compliance with asbestos regulations detail the currently available asbestos survey types which are:

Asbestos Management Survey

An asbestos management survey (formerly know as a type 1 and type 2 survey, with a type 1 being a presumptive survey and type 2 taking this a stage further with samples being taken) will provide you with everything you need to safely monitor and manage asbestos containing materials. This includes the preparing an asbestos register and formulating of an effective asbestos management plan.

If the asbestos containing materials identified during this survey remain undisturbed and are in a good condition, then any asbestos risk can be effectively managed. To effectively manage asbestos which has been identified during an asbestos management survey you will need an asbestos management plan. The asbestos management plan is a legally required document which will enable the risk from asbestos to be controlled.

Oracle are UKAS accredited for this type of asbestos survey. For more information on this asbestos survey type read our useful guide: What you need to know about an asbestos management survey.

Asbestos Refurbishment Survey

An asbestos refurbishment survey will be needed prior to any refurbishment work being undertaken on or in any building which may contain asbestos. Asbestos refurbishment surveys are fully intrusive, and the building or areas being surveyed will usually need to be evacuated during the asbestos survey process.

The asbestos refurbishment survey will contain the exact details and location of any work which is liable to disturb the fabric of a building. Asbestos surveys ensure that any materials likely to be disturbed during such work are tested for confirmation of the presence of asbestos. The survey report will include recommendations on the steps to take to reduce the risk of asbestos disturbance during the work.

Oracle are UKAS accredited for these types of asbestos survey. For more information on these types of asbestos surveys read our useful guide: Things you need to know about asbestos R&D surveys.

Asbestos Demolition Survey

An asbestos demolition survey will be needed prior to any demolition work being undertaken on or in any building which may contain asbestos. Asbestos demolition surveys are fully intrusive, and the building or areas being surveyed will usually need to be evacuated during the asbestos survey process.

The asbestos demolition survey will contain the exact details and location of any work which is liable to disturb the fabric of a building. A demolition survey will ensure that any materials likely to be disturbed during such work are tested for confirmation of the presence of asbestos. The demolition survey report will include recommendations on the steps to take to reduce the risk of asbestos disturbance during the work.

Oracle are UKAS accredited for these types of asbestos survey. For more information on this asbestos survey type read our useful guide: Things you need to know about asbestos refurbishment and demolition surveys.

There are several reasons why you might need an asbestos survey. If you are working on or in a building constructed prior to the year 2000, or even just in control of such a building you have a legal duty under the asbestos regulations to control the risk from asbestos.

The only way to control the risk of asbestos is to know where it is, its extent, its type and its condition. The only reasonable way of knowing this information is to have an asbestos survey carried out.  People can be at risk of asbestos exposure for a variety of different reasons. You may think that the only people likely to be at risk of asbestos exposure are workers, contractors working within the building or in the construction industry, but this is not true. If asbestos is not managed correctly, everyone is potentially at risk. This includes visitors, and anyone entering buildings or any other places where asbestos is not managed correctly. There are laws in place to ensure that asbestos is managed correctly.

So, if you manage a building or property or you’re involved in construction work, refurbishment or demolition in any shape or form you may have a legal obligation to manage the potential risks from asbestos materials. This is why you would need an asbestos survey.

Yes. There is a Health & Safety Executive guidance document about this. It details the required quality and provides detail on what is expected when carrying out an asbestos survey. The survey guide also details the exact information that an asbestos report should contain. This HSE guidance document is Asbestos: The survey guide HSG264.

Oracle are UKAS accredited to undertake all types of asbestos surveys as detailed within the HSE asbestos surveys guidance document. (UKAS Accredited Inspection Body No.4600)

If you’re managing a property – or you’re involved in a process, i.e. refurbishment, demolition or maintenance, where asbestos could potentially be disturbed and pose a risk to you, the public or others and you don’t have the required information to reduce or eliminate that risk, the answer is simply ‘yes’.

The current asbestos regulations are ‘The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012’ (CAR). Although survey work and requirements are not restricted to any single regulation, there is a principal section about asbestos surveys. This is Regulation 4: The management of asbestos in nondomestic premises. Details of this regulation can be found in L143 Managing and working with asbestos Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012. In brief, Regulation 4 says that anyone in control of premises or property has a legal duty to manage any risk from asbestos. To do this they must identify the risks. The only sure way of identifying these risks is by having an asbestos survey.

There are four main steps that are needed for all types of asbestos survey:

Step 1

The asbestos surveyor will gather as much information from you as possible. This is to make sure the type of survey you have carried out will give you what you need. This includes details about why you need the survey, details of the property (including who will be there) and any access problems which may be encountered, such as locked doors.

Step 2

The asbestos surveyor will visit the site to undertake the survey. The nature of the inspection will depend largely on the type of survey being carried out. However, in general, the asbestos surveys that our surveyors carry out will check every area of the property. This is carried out methodically, one area at a time, inspecting the floors, walls and ceilings.

Step 3

If the asbestos surveyor locates anything which they believe to be asbestos, they will take a small sample which can be sent to a laboratory for asbestos testing and analysis. When taking asbestos samples, an asbestos surveyor will try to take them from inconspicuous areas. Samples are usually about the size of a 50p coin. Asbestos samples are then double sealed in small bags ready to go to the laboratory. During the asbestos survey, the surveyor will take relevant notes and photographs – and if not already provided, they will draw a floor plan which can be marked with any sample or asbestos locations.

Step 4

The final step is to produce the asbestos survey report. Asbestos survey reports are usually electronic, and include photographs, plans and sample results. For more information on asbestos survey reports take a look at our helpful guide: Asbestos Survey Reports.

Once the asbestos survey report has been quality checked, it will be sent to you. We will then contact you to discuss the asbestos survey reports recommendations. We will then walk you through the next steps and discuss your available options.

Asbestos survey reports contain a lot of information. We have put together a whole guide for your information which you can find here: Asbestos Survey Reports.

We are more than happy to discuss your asbestos survey needs and what your report will contain. Contact a member of the team now. 

UKAS are the only national accreditation body recognised by the UK government for assessing asbestos surveying organisations against international standards. UKAS carry out in-depth inspections. Ensuring the technical competency and integrity of the asbestos firms are up to relevant standards. In return this provides you the peace of mind and reassurance that the surveys are being carried out by a fully competent expert. For more information, take a look at why should you seek out a UKAS accredited organisation when commissioning an asbestos survey?