ASBESTOS SURVEYS responsibilities advice by Dunfermline health & safety

Are you aware of the changes in asbestosthe building Be careful not too think that " Right,
regulationsI've got my survey , thats that" and leave it in a
This is an asbestos fact sheetdrawer to gather dust! Management surveys
Asbestos legislationneed continually monitored and updated when
The Asbestos regs 2006 places a clearneccessary!
responsibiltiy on people who own,lease or manageAn asbestos survey should slot into your health &
commercial or business premises likesafety plan of the premisesbefore during type 1
surgeries,offices & retail outlets etc& 2 asbestos surveys the surveyor did not have
So what are these changes, and do they affectto investigate fully behind moveable panels etc,
you?this is NOT the case now and the surveyor will
From Roughly 4 years ago the health & safetyhave to access all areas that are humanly possible!
executive implemented new changes to theThe old style type 1& 2 asbestos surveys which
asbestos regs In the new regulations, guidelinesconsisted of a simple walkthrough of premises is
for asbestos surveyors & duty holdersnow no longer adequete.The new survey
(MDHS100) of commercial premises were laidguidelines indicate that asbestos surveys should
down.The HSE recognised that workers were stillleave no stone unturned when trying to find
being exposed to asbestos EVEN after aasbestos containing materials.
property had been given the all clear by surveyingThese surveys are required where a building (or
firms, because rouge surveying companies werepart of it) is to be refurbished or
simply initiaiting simplistic type 1 surveys whichdemolished.These types of surveys will be fully
were completely inadequte!intrusive and involve destructive inspection, where
So the government made sweeping changes thisnecessary, to gain access behind walls, under
year with the introduction of guidelines HSG 264floors, ceiling cavities etc (this list is not
(Asbestos ; The Survey Guide)Although Theexhaustive)
surveying methods have remained the same,Pre-refurbishment surveys are fully intrusive full
although the way in which surveyors inspect theindepth type asbestos surveys
properties changed slightly.These changes were introduced in 2006 and
The older type one and two surveys have beenalthough the Health & Safety Executive have
replaced by asbestos management surveysallowed surveyors and duty-holders alike a certain
An asbestos management survey is required toamount of grace period for the new changes to
establish if asbestos is present within anybe filtered into operation, earlier this year it
workplace where people may be exposed tobecame mandatory for duty holders & surveyors
asbestos. Such as employees, tradesmen,to follow the new guidelines set down in HSG 264
maintenance, public etc the management survey- Asbestos: The survey guide.
forms part of the overall health & safety plan of