Asbestos Survey

Senergi provide an efficient, effective and speedy Asbestos testing service. Senergi are fully insured to carry out all Asbestos Surveys as members of ACAD (The Asbestos Control Abatement Division). The laboratory used is UKAS Accredited and works to strict adherence to the HSG 248: The analysts’ guide for sampling, analysis and clearance procedures.

Types of Survey we undertake:

• Asbestos Management Survey (formally Type 1 & 2)
• Asbestos Refurbishment Survey (formally Type 3)
• Asbestos Demolition Survey (formally Type 3)
• Asbestos Sample Report
• Domestic Asbestos Survey

Call us to discuss your requirement and we will be happy to help.

Why Use Senergi:

• Quick Turnaround Times
• Efficient Service
• Great Customer Service
• Advice before, during and after
• Fully Insured
• Accredited

Senergi Asbestos surveys take place within 5 working days of your contact, or as early as 48 hours if urgent.

Following the onsite Asbestos testing your Asbestos Survey will be available 2 to 5 working days later. In urgent cases of Asbestos exposure Senergi can offer a next day service.

Types of Asbestos Survey

There are two different types of survey: management surveys (formally Type 1 & 2) and refurbishment and demolition surveys (formally Type 3).

The type of survey will vary during the lifespan of the premises and several may be needed over time. A management survey will be required during the normal occupation and use of the building to ensure continued management of the ACMs in situ. A refurbishment or demolition survey will be necessary when the building (or part of it) is to be upgraded, refurbished or demolished. It is probable that at larger premises a mixture of survey types will be appropriate, eg a boiler house due for demolition will require a refurbishment/demolition survey, while offices at the same site would have a management survey. In later years refurbishment surveys may be required in rooms or floors which are being upgraded. In sectors where there are large numbers of properties (eg domestic houses) or internal units (eg hotels), only particular rooms may be specified for upgrading, eg kitchens, bathrooms and bedrooms. Refurbishment surveys would only be necessary in these locations.

It is important that the client and the surveyor know exactly what type of survey is to be carried out and where, and what the specification will be. So there should be a clear statement and record of the type of survey that is to be carried out, including the reasons for selecting that type of survey, and where it is to be carried out.

Management survey

A management survey is the standard survey. Its purpose is to locate, as far as reasonably practicable, the presence and extent of any suspect ACMs in the building which could be damaged or disturbed during normal occupancy, including foreseeable maintenance and installation, and to assess their condition.

Management surveys will often involve minor intrusive work and some disturbance. The extent of intrusion will vary between premises and depend on what is reasonably practicable for individual properties, ie it will depend on factors such as the type of building, the nature of construction, accessibility etc. A management survey should include an assessment of the condition of the various ACMs and their ability to release fibres into the air if they are disturbed in some way. This ‘material assessment’ will give a good initial guide to the priority for managing ACMs as it will identify the materials which will most readily release airborne fibres if they are disturbed.

The survey will usually involve sampling and analysis to confirm the presence or absence of ACMs. However a management survey can also involve presuming the presence or absence of asbestos. A management survey can be completed using a combination of sampling ACMs and presuming ACMs or, indeed, just presuming. Any materials presumed to contain asbestos must also have their condition assessed (i.e. a material assessment).

Management surveys can involve a combination of sampling to confirm asbestos is present or presuming asbestos to be present.

Refurbishment and demolition surveys

A refurbishment and demolition survey is needed before any refurbishment or demolition work is carried out. This type of survey is used to locate and describe, as far as reasonably practicable, all ACMs in the area where the refurbishment work will take place or in the whole building if demolition is planned. The survey will be fully intrusive and involve destructive inspection, as necessary, to gain access to all areas, including those that may be difficult to reach. A refurbishment and demolition survey may also be required in other circumstances, eg when more intrusive maintenance and repair work will be carried out or for plant removal or dismantling.

There is a specific requirement in CAR 2012 (regulation 7) for all ACMs to be removed as far as reasonably practicable before major refurbishment or final demolition. Removing ACMs is also appropriate in other smaller refurbishment situations which involve structural or layout changes to buildings (eg removal of partitions, walls, units etc). Under CDM, the survey information should be used to help in the tendering process for removal of ACMs from the building before work starts. The survey report should be supplied by the client to designers and contractors who may be bidding for the work, so that the asbestos risks can be addressed. In this type of survey, where the asbestos is identified so that it can be removed (rather than to ‘manage’ it), the survey does not normally assess the condition of the asbestos, other than to indicate areas of damage or where additional asbestos debris may be present. However, where the asbestos removal may not take place for some time, the ACMs’ condition will need to be assessed and the materials managed.

Refurbishment and demolition surveys are intended to locate all the asbestos in the building (or the relevant part), as far as reasonably practicable. It is a disruptive and fully intrusive survey which may need to penetrate all parts of the building structure. Aggressive inspection techniques will be needed to lift carpets and tiles, break through walls, ceilings, cladding and partitions, and open up floors. In these situations, controls should be put in place to prevent the spread of debris, which may include asbestos. Refurbishment and demolition surveys should only be conducted in unoccupied areas to minimise risks to the public or employees on the premises. Ideally, the building should not be in service and all furnishings removed. For minor refurbishment, this would only apply to the room involved or even part of the room where the work is small and the room large. In these situations, there should effective isolation of the survey area (eg full floor to ceiling partition), and furnishings should be removed as far as possible or protected using sheeting. The ‘surveyed’ area must be shown to be fit for reoccupation before people move back in. This will require a thorough visual inspection and, if appropriate (eg where there has been significant destruction), reassurance air sampling with disturbance. Under no circumstances should staff remain in rooms or areas of buildings when intrusive sampling is performed.

For for further information on this service please click the in the downloads section to the bottom right of this page and download the guidance or contact Senergi on 0845 463 7798