Who Needs an Asbestos Survey?
Under the Control of Asbestos in the Workplace Act of 2004, any non-domestic building must have an asbestos survey undertaken. Under the Act, this is the responsibility of the duty holder.
What is a non-domestic property?
This is any building used solely for commercial purposes but also includes the shared and common parts of multiple-occupancy residential premises. These would include; foyers, lifts, stairs, lobbies; boiler and plant rooms, roof spaces, communal yards, gardens, store rooms, external outbuildings, bike shelters etc.
Who is the dutyholder?
All those who have responsibility for the maintenance and/or repair of non-domestic premises have duties under this regulation. The extent of the legal duty is determined by the terms of any tenancy agreement or contract that applies, and in the absence of any such agreement, on the degree of control the party has over the premises. The duty holder may well be the landlord, tenant or a managing agent, depending on the circumstances of the case. In some situations, responsibility could be shared between two or more parties.
What type of survey to carry out
The aim of an asbestos survey is, as far as reasonably practicable, to locate and assess the condition of the asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) present in the building and its purpose is to present the information collected in a way which allows you to assess and manage the risk. There are three types of survey:
- Type 1: Location and assessment survey (presumptive survey).
- Type 2: Standard sampling identification and assessment survey (sampling survey).
- Type 3: Full access sampling and identification survey (predemolition/major refurbishment survey).
The type of survey you choose to carry out will depend on a number of circumstances, but whichever type is used (and it may be a combination), the decision must be clearly recorded, so that there is no confusion at a later date. It is also important that the surveyor is aware of the type of survey he/she is expected to carry out.
For full details on each survey type click on the links to the left.