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Is Having An Asbestos Survey A Legal Requirement?
The simple answer is yes, depending on what your doing in your property and who is in it. There are different laws in the Control Of Asbestos Regulation which outline the rules for both private and commercial properties.
For commercial properties you must have an asbestos survey simply because you need to keep people safe. Its an employees duty to make sure they don't come in contact with asbestos containing materials as stated in the legislation here.
"An employer must not undertake work in demolition, maintenance or any other work which exposes or is liable to expose employees of that employer to asbestos"
Now for home owners this does become a requirement if you have tenants as doing any work to the house could expose them to harmful asbestos from damaged material.
If you aren't putting anyone health in danger then it isn't a requirement but still highly advised as any property built before 2000 could and most likely contain asbestos, so a survey should be carried our before renovation or demolition.
What Types Of Asbestos Surveys Are There?
The Management Surveys
The purpose is to ensure that the management of ACM meets the needs of the occupier and user. A surveyor is not always necessary if the premises are simple and easy to understand. However, if there are any problems, then a surveyor will be needed.
A management survey will ensure:
No one comes to hard due to asbestos containing material.
The asbestos containing material stay un damaged.
The material cant be disturbed accidentally.
The survey aims to locate any asbestos containing materials through the survey that might come in contact or get disturbed by normal activities, maintenance or installing new equipment. These surveys must be done by a licenced surveyor, they look to ensure that the asbestos fibres are not released into the air by any of the above activities.
Refurbishment Or Demolition Survey
These surveys are for when you are renovating, upgrading or demolishing a part of your property. An asbestos survey for refurbishing or demolishment will ensure that:
The work will be done by the right contractor in the correct way.
No one can be harmed by work near on on the asbestos containing materials.
The purpose for this is to identify any asbestos containing materials through a survey before any building or demolishing work commences.