Commercial Services

Asbestos Refurbishment Surveys

When is a Refurbishment Survey Needed?

Current legislation requires arrangements to be in place to deal with asbestos during construction work, including refurbishment and demolition. This includes domestic premises where 3rd parties such as contractors or surveyors are working. As soon as you employ a person or company to start work on a domestic premises, it then becomes a place of work and all the following legislation will apply as per the Health & Safety at Work at 1974.

Where construction or building work is to be carried out, the CDM client must provide designers and contractors who are bidding for the work (or who they intend to engage) with project-specific information about the presence of asbestos, so that the risks associated can be addressed. It is not acceptable to make general reference to hazards that may exist. Therefore site-specific asbestos surveys must be carried out in advance of construction work to make sure that the information is available to those who need it.

Fibre Safe worker in protective suit and mask checking pipework

Refurbishment & Demolition Asbestos Survey

A refurbishment and demolition survey is needed before work of this nature is carried out. This type of survey is used to locate and describe, as far as reasonably practicable, all ACM s 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.

What the HSE says...

‘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’.

Can a survey be carried out on a specific area?

Yes a refurbishment survey can be carried out on a specific area of the building which is to undergo work. This can include minor works such as fire alarm installation, breaking through partition walls or simply channeling cables & pipes. In fact the HSE specifically states: ‘A refurbishment survey will be necessary when the building (or part of it) is to be upgraded’.

Only competent surveyors should be used for these works… i.e. the surveyors must:

  • Have sufficient training, qualifications, knowledge, & experience
  • Have the ability to carry out their duties in relation to the survey and to recognise their limitations
  • Have sufficient knowledge of the specific tasks to be undertaken and the risks the work entails
  • Be able to demonstrate independence, impartiality and integrity
  • Have an adequate quality management system
  • Carry out the survey in accordance with recommended guidance HSG264

Where can Asbestos be found?

Any home that was built before the year 2000 may contain asbestos materials.

Asbestos is known to be in over 4000 different building products, many of which are common everyday items that you wouldn’t suspect.

Asbestos has been used in building products since the 1920s with its peak use being between 1950 and 1975. It is extremely likely that any home built within this time frame will contain multiple asbestos items. It is important to remember that asbestos materials in good condition, do not pose a danger to your health. Therefore it is vital to find these materials in your home and ensure that they are not disturbed during normal occupancy or refurbishment works.

Although there are far too many asbestos products to list, we have compiled a short video of the most popular types of asbestos containing materials which our surveyors come across.

Please remember that asbestos materials should only be handled by an appropriately trained, inured and competent person. If you would like to book an inspection, then please don’t hesitate to contact us on 0800 458 4136.

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