The Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 2006 (CAR 2006) gives specific guidance on who the duty holder is for buildings and how asbestos should be managed. A major priority of the legislation is to prevent the accidental contamination of maintenance workers through lack of information. Briefly, the duty holder needs to find out if, where and in what quantities and condition asbestos materials are present within the building. A written plan must then be prepared detailing how the asbestos materials will be managed, which should be implemented, reviewed and updated on a regular basis. All those that need to know - employees, contractors and emergency services - should be informed of the plan.
What should we do if we suspect asbestos has been used in premises we wish to modify or demolish? The first step is to request a full survey from a qualified specialist such as A-Strip. We can advise you on all aspects of the process. The regulatory authorities recognise two types of surveys.
- Asbestos Management Surveys. A survey which is undertaken to address the risks from Asbestos associated with the continued use of the building (ie normal occupancy and activities and associated maintenance and development). These are called "Asbestos Management Surveys" which are performed to ensure that no one is harmed by the continued presence of asbestos in premises (ie ACMs remain in good condition and that no-one inadvertently disturbs ACMs during maintenance and other work). The purpose of the Asbestos Management Survey is to locate, as far as reasonably practicable, the presence and extent of any suspect ACMs in the building. Asbestos Management Surveys may involve minor intrusive work and some disturbance to allow maintenance or installation work.
- Demolition / Refurbishment Asbestos Surveys. There are also circumstances where a far more intrusive survey is necessary to establish the full extent and complete presence of asbestos. This type of asbestos survey is necessary prior to any demolition or refurbishment work being carried out. These are called "demolition/refurbishment surveys" and will be quite different and much more intrusive and destructive compared with Asbestos management surveys as their intention is to locate all the ACMs so that they can be removed before the demolition or refurbishment takes place. All buildings normally require a asbestos management survey as part of the on-going arrangements to manage asbestos. However refurbishment/demolition asbestos surveys will only be required as necessary when the needs or use of the building changes.
HSG "264" [Right Click To Save As] which is published by the Health & Safety Executive, describes the types of survey that can be undertaken.
What is involved in asbestos removal? Asbestos removal is necessarily one of the most highly legislated services in the UK and an extremely specialised and skilled occupation. Asbestos removal should be carried out only by companies which are licensed and fully qualified to do so. There are penalties if you, as a building owner or landlord, fail to appoint an organisation with the compulsory credentials.
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