Need an Asbestos Survey?
Use RenKap
Simply upload your site on the RenKap platform to:
- Reduce your management time by 90%
- Instantly receive a minimum of 3 quotes from our vetted suppliers
- Receive one digital dashboard with survey recommendations
- Quality reports every time guaranteed
Need an Asbestos Survey?
Use RenKap
Simply upload your site on the RenKap platform to:
- Reduce your management time by 90%
- Instantly receive a minimum of 3 quotes from our vetted suppliers
- Receive one digital dashboard with survey recommendations
- Quality reports every time guaranteed
The only site investigation checklist you need
Download our site investigation checklist, which covers the 13 site investigation surveys you need to complete on every site. This includes a rundown of why you need each of them and at what stage throughout the project lifecycle.
What is an asbestos survey?
An asbestos survey is undertaken to identify Asbestos Containing Materials (ACMs) within existing buildings. Asbestos is a dangerous material that, if inhaled, can cause health issues such as lung cancer, asbestosis and pleural diseases.
Asbestos exposure has resulted in thousands of deaths. In 2019 alone, there were 2,369 UK deaths caused by inhalation of asbestos fibers. Yet, despite the dangers asbestos poses, it has been used for more than 150 years in the construction industry.
Why do you need an asbestos survey?
Asbestos surveys are a legal requirement under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (HASWA) and the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (CAR12). They are required as asbestos is a toxic substance that can have devastating effects if not managed correctly or if people come into contact with it (often unknowingly).
What are the different asbestos survey types?
Asbestos surveys fall under two main types; management surveys for continued building occupation and refurbishment and demolition surveys required for all construction work.
Asbestos Management Surveys
An asbestos management survey is required in order to ensure that the existing building is safe for its inhabitants. These are done on an ongoing basis to make sure that any risks are managed properly.
Asbestos Refurbishment and Demolition Surveys
These are required anytime that refurbishment or demolition is planned for a building. It is more intrusive and aims to find any present ACM’s within the buildings in order to remove so that the construction workers are protected before work commences.
What is a ACM?
Asbestos-containing materials (ACM’s) are any material containing more than 1% asbestos.
There are three main types of asbestos that can still be found in premises, commonly called “blue asbestos” (crocidolite), “brown asbestos” (amosite) and “white asbestos” (chrysotile). All of them are dangerous carcinogens, but blue and brown asbestos are more hazardous than white. Despite their names, you cannot identify them just by their colour.
What is the risk of not doing an asbestos survey?
You risk the site being closed down until you complete the requirement. As an employer, / developer you have a duty to protect your workforce which is why this legal requirement is in place and needs to be adhered to. Buildings built prior to 2000 are very likely to contain asbestos, unless previously removed by a prior owner. Without the survey, you won’t know if asbestos is present, where the asbestos is located, how much of it there is and how much it may cost to remediate.
When is an asbestos survey required?
If your site has an existing building on it, then you should complete an asbestos survey to mitigate any risks and identify the amount of asbestos, if present.
How is an asbestos survey completed?
Competent asbestos surveyors will attend your site with the adequate personel protective equipment. They will complete a walk through and log any asbestos-containing materials ACM’s in the asbestos register. This will include the location, type and status of each of the asbestos samples. These samples will then be sent to a UKAS accredited lab for testing.
Depending on the asbestos survey the output will include the following: asbestos report, asbestos register and management plan.
The refurbishment and demolition survey will include intrusive works such as breaking through walls, floors and so on to identify any hidden asbestos present.
What are the key pieces of information that suppliers need from a client to complete a asbestos survey?
The key pieces of information would include:
- Site location
- Redline boundary (the perimeter of the site boundary)
- Plans and layout of the buildings
- Size of the buildings
- Site access instructions
- A scope of survey (i.e. a brief of exactly what they need to include)
- Unencumbered access to the buildings present
What are the key items that would affect the cost of an asbestos survey?
Factor The key factors will include the internal size of the buildings. This is usually reffered to as the GIA (The Gross Internal Area). This is the total internal floor area of the buildings excluding external walls. The official definition can be seen in the RICS Code of Measuring guidance.
Another key factor is the number of rooms within the buildings. If it was one large room it would be easy and quick but if that same space is made up of many rooms then it takes longer and thus the cost increases.
How to identify competent asbestos suppliers?
As a minimum they should:
- Abide by the construction, Design and Management Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015)
- Abide by the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
- Have an appropriate level of professional indemnity insurance (Ideally more than £5m)
- Have an internal quality assurance procedure
- Have suitably trained and quality staff
The RenKap platform has already pre-vetted the best UK suppliers so you don’t have to.
The only site investigation checklist you need
Download our site investigation checklist, which covers the 13 site investigation surveys you need to complete on every site. This includes a rundown of why you need each of them and at what stage throughout the project lifecycle.