If you’re the owner or potential owner of a commercial property, an asbestos survey for commercial property is a legal requirement and something you must undertake.
Asbestos was banned in the UK in 1999 and any properties built after the year 2000 are unlikely to contain asbestos, but anything built before this is another matter.
If the commercial property you’re dealing with was built pre-2000, there’s a chance that the structure is using asbestos-containing materials (ACMs).
To protect yourself and others, not only from the health dangers related to asbestos but also from a legal perspective, you’ll need to have an asbestos survey carried out.
In this blog post, we’ll be looking at the different types of asbestos surveys as well as how to go about getting one undertaken on your commercial property.
Types of asbestos surveys for commercial properties
In the UK, there are two types of asbestos surveys that commercial property owners need to consider for refurbishment and demolition or general occupancy.
So, in the following section, we’re going to look at both in more detail to help you determine which one you might need.
Asbestos Management Surveys for Commercial Properties
An asbestos management survey is carried out by a surveyor who will come in and check if there is asbestos within the property. They will assess the condition of the asbestos, determine if it poses a risk, and how the asbestos-containing materials should be managed.
It’s important to remember that many public and commercial buildings, including flats, schools, libraries, and even hospitals could potentially have asbestos in them.
However, the danger of asbestos comes about when asbestos fibres are released into the air, which can often be caused by disturbance. Renovations, structural damage to walls and ceilings or maintenance work carried out on the premises could cause this disturbance.
So, the main goal of this survey is to determine if the asbestos-containing materials identified pose any danger to health. If this is the case, then a plan will be made for managing the materials or removing them safely.
Refurbishment or Demolition Survey
This type of survey is carried out when there are planned refurbishments on a commercial property, or a full demolition is planned.
As buildings in the UK that were built pre-2000 could have some form of asbestos-containing materials within them, and asbestos fibres pose a health risk when released into the air, it’s essential that it’s safely managed or removed during any building work or demolition.
The R&D Asbestos Survey will highlight the extent of any asbestos-containing materials present within the surveyed areas, the condition of the materials, as well as make plans to manage the materials or remove them if necessary. An asbestos removal team would then come in to remove it safely and ensure that any contractors working on the building are provided with relevant information needed to prevent the spread of asbestos and work around the materials without risk.
How to arrange an asbestos survey for commercial properties
For commercial properties, you’ll need to hire a professional asbestos surveyor to come out and inspect the buildings.
As experts in safety, dealing with the management of asbestos and overseeing removals within commercial properties across the UK, we’d love to help you with any asbestos surveys you may need to undertake.
Our experienced, reliable team are on hand to answer any questions you have about an asbestos survey for commercial property, so get in touch today.
