Asbestos

Commercial Properties

It is a legal requirement under the Control of Asbestos Regulations (CAR 2012) that Business Owners and Property Landlords have a duty to manage Asbestos Containing Material (ACM) at any premises built prior to the year 2000.

All commercial office, retail, leased flats or HMO property must have an Asbestos Register. The Asbestos Register is produced from an Asbestos Management Survey. The survey report and register will identify and record the location, type, and quantity of ACM’s present together with appropriate management actions, if the ACM can be left in situ. Only if an ACM is in poor condition or presents more than a low level of risk to occupants, will removal be recommended.

Although the Asbestos Register for a commercial property is a legal requirement, many owners and landlords are unaware of this requirement, and it often only becomes apparent when a property or lease is sold. As such, if an asbestos register is not present an Asbestos Management Survey should be instructed to avoid delays at contract exchange.

Residential Properties

There is no legal requirement under CAR2012 for the owner of a residential property to hold an Asbestos Register. However, this does not mean ACMs may not present in a residential property built prior to the year 2000. As a homeowner, if you are suspicious of a material within your property it is wise to have it checked or the property surveyed. Suspicious ACMs include: insulation material and wall boards, lagging, loose fill insulation between floorboards, textured coatings (Artex) on ceiling and walls, floor tiles, adhesives and mastics, cisterns, sprayed coatings, textiles in fuse guards or gaskets of electrical boxes, asbestos cement (AC) such as roofing profile sheets, guttering and pipes. All of which were used extensively in the mid-20th century only being totally banned by the year 2000.

For prospective purchasers of residential property, building surveys or mortgage valuations often identify the risk that asbestos containing material (ACM) may be present. For the purchaser it is important this risk is quantified as significant costs may be involved if an ACM is later identified and needs to be removed. The Asbestos Management Survey will identify the location, type, and quantity of ACM present and record them in an Asbestos Register. The survey will also detail if any of the ACM’s need to be removed or in most cases, ‘managed’ in situ.

Commercial & Residential Properties

It should also be noted that any proposed work on a property where ACM is present and may be disturbed, can significantly increases the risk to both workmen and occupants if ACM is disturbed. An Asbestos Survey will help identify and reduce the risks.

All our surveys are carried out to meet the full requirements of HSG 264. Each room is examined together with voids and roof space subject to adequate access. The reports allow for a single page for each suspect material and the position that any sample was taken can be seen from the photographs and plan. When samples are needed, they are sent to a UKAS certified laboratory for testing. – Note our experienced surveyors know many products that are ACMs and many that are asbestos free, so avoiding the cost of a sample. Reports are produced using specialist asbestos survey software and can be sent in both printed and PDF format.

A floor plan is usually required for the report to make sense. If one cannot be provided, we can provide a simple plan in Excel. Charges apply.

Reports are delivered via e-mail in a PDF format, a printed and posted report is available upon request for £12.