At the end of January, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) published new guidance regarding asbestos surveys that will affect both those carrying out surveys and their clients.
Therefore, if you're involved in carrying out works, commissioning them or a landlord with commercial premises, then these changes will affect you.
Below is a summary of the main changes to the guidance:
- Asbestos surveys are now no longer classed as Type 1, 2, or 3 but as 'Management Surveys' or 'Refurbishment and Demolition Surveys'.
This means that the minimum a commercial premises needs to have is a Management Survey which will replace Types 1 & 2. This change will mean that the minimum survey is now more thorough and standardised as it will locate the presence and extent of any asbestos containing materials which could be disturbed or damaged during normal occupation of the building. There could also be some intrusive sampling done as part of this process.
Refurbishment and Demolition Surveys replace the class 3 surveys and are done before ANY refurbishment or demolition work starts. These surveys are fully intrusive and will involve destructive inspection and gaining access to all areas of the building.
Therefore, if works are being done to a site without an existing type 2 asbestos survey in place, then the person or company responsible for the building will have to have the appropriate survey carried out under the terms of the new guidance.
- Whoever is commissioning the survey needs to make sure that the person carrying it out is technically competent
For example are they UKAS accredited, ISO 17020 or ISO 17024 certificated.
- Survey planning now has its own chapter in the guidance.
This is aimed at giving clarity to the client on what to expect from their surveyor and equally what information they need to give the surveyor in order for them to carry out a full and thorough survey.
- There's also a new survey planning process in the guidance.
This is aimed at reducing any areas of ambiguity and giving the client as complete a picture as possible about what's on site such as any areas not surveyed.
The full guidance can be found downloaded free at:
http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/priced/hsg264.pdf
February 2010
