Asbestos Surveys
The Risks of Asbestos in Buildings
If you own or rent a building for your business there are lots of bad things you might find in your building. Rats, mice and a water leak are all serious problems. But the worst one is asbestos. You can't see it, you can't smell it, and you can't taste it. But if you breathe in the fibres, they can cause serious illness, and even death. As the person responsible for the building, you have a legal duty to ensure it is safe, including managing any asbestos risks. The law refers to you the 'duty holder'. You have a duty to make sure you know if there is asbestos in your building, and to make sure it is not a risk to anyone who uses the building. This page explains your duty, and how to make sure you are fulfilling it.
Asbestos is not a risk when it is stable and encapsulated. It is a risk when the fibres are free to enter the atmosphere, and so enter people's lungs. This leads to a cancer called Mesothelioma. More than 2,700 people are diagnosed with mesothelioma each year in the UK. Mesothelioma is an aggressive and rare cancer that primarily affects the lining of the lungs, abdomen, or heart, typically caused by exposure to asbestos fibres. It cannot be cured, but treatment may help control the symptoms. It also causes asbestosis, a progressive and untreatable lung disease.
The Risks and Harms Of Asbestos are not Going Away
The use of asbestos in buildings is long gone. Sadly, the damage to health from asbestos is still with us. The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) confirmed that 2,247 people died due to mesothelioma in 2022. Many of these deaths will be due to exposure many years before the symptoms became clear. There were also 1,755 new cases of mesothelioma reported. Many of these cases will, in time, result in the death of the patient. The problem is not going to go away quickly. The HSE stated that there were 2,218 asbestos related deaths in Great Britain in 2023. There were 1,605 new cases of mesothelioma. The highest rate of mesothelioma is in men who worked in the building industry before the risks of asbestos were fully understood.
Making Sure Your Building is Safe
The first step to making sure your building is safe, and to fulfilling the legal duty to make yourself aware of its presence, is an asbestos survey. This is used to write the Asbestos Register, recording every instance of asbestos in your building. It also informs the writing of the Asbestos Management Plan, which details how the risks will be managed, and who is responsible for this.
If your building is in Essex, like us, or our neighbours in Hertfordshire then we recommend Global Environmental. They are, of course, technical experts, with all the appropriate expertise, qualifications and certifications. TThey are respectful of the needs of both building owners and occupiers. They are discreet and low profile, and cause the minimum of disruption. Where it's appropriate they work out of hours, to avoid any disruption to the normal use of the building.
If required, they can get results back rapidly. They have years of experience working on a wide range of buildings, including schools, hospitals, offices, and factories.
All their surveyors hold the appropriate qualification: P402 (Surveying and Sampling Strategies for Asbestos in Buildings). The company is accredited by UKAS to the relevant standard, ISO 17020:2012.
Why Choose a UKAS-Accredited Surveyor?
Using a UKAS-accredited asbestos surveyor gives you confidence that the survey is carried out to recognised industry standards. Accredited surveyors follow strict procedures for inspection, sampling and reporting.
This helps ensure that any asbestos-containing materials are correctly identified and assessed. It also provides a clear, reliable report that can be used to support legal compliance, risk management and future maintenance or refurbishment planning.
What Happens After an Asbestos Survey?
An asbestos survey does not automatically mean that asbestos must be removed. The survey report will identify any asbestos-containing materials, explain their condition and assess the level of risk they present.
The report will normally include recommendations on whether the material should be monitored, repaired, encapsulated or removed. In many cases, asbestos can remain safely in place if it is in good condition and unlikely to be disturbed.
Where asbestos is found, the information can be used to create or update an asbestos register and management plan. This helps property owners, managers and contractors understand where asbestos is located and how it should be managed safely.
What Happens if The Asbestos is Dangerous?
If the survey reveals the presence of asbestos in poor condition, which means it is a current danger, then it must be removed as soon as possible. Global can help with this, too. They are not contractors, but they are expert project managers. They can help you make sure the asbestos is removed quickly and safely, with as little disruption as possible, and with as little expense as possible.
For most of their clients removing asbestos is outside the skills and experience of everyone in the company. That's why they value being able to use an experienced, trustworthy partner like Global.
The Risks of Hidden Asbestos
Hidden asbestos is a risk to any construction project involving a building built or modified before the year 2000. It is often not visible during a non-invasive survey, because it is hidden by other materials. It could be used in insulation for a redundant pipe that has been bricked in, or behind cladding applied to a wall. The time and cost involved in safely removing asbestos can put both the project budget and timetable at risk. That's why it's important to use experienced surveyors who can anticipate problems, and know the most high-risk places to check for asbestos. There's more on the risks of asbestos here.
