Compliant Asbestos Surveys For The Food Industry
During the late 1900s, asbestos was used for oven insulation/fireproofing and protective gear (often woven into cloth and various fabrics to make asbestos textiles) for those working in the food industry. This was due to the strong, heat-resistant and fire-resistant properties of the material. As these asbestos products became worn over time, their fibres became airborne, posing serious health risks to food industry workers. When the asbestos insulation eventually needed repairing or replacing, it would have been torn out, further disturbing the fibres and causing more to become airborne. This would have also led to asbestos fibres finding their way into the food being made by the workers.
Any building that was constructed before the year 2000 may still contain asbestos, which could cause serious diseases, such as mesothelioma, asbestosis and lung cancer, if not managed properly. Managing asbestos requires the help of asbestos consultants. This is where Pillars Environmental comes in. Our specialist asbestos surveyors have over 35 years of combined industry experience dealing with domestic, commercial, public sector and industrial properties.
Our licensed asbestos contractors will help your food industry building remain compliant with the latest Health and Safety Executive (HSE) legislation. According to The Control of Asbestos Regulations (CAR) 2012, an essential aspect of asbestos management is ensuring the risk is addressed by the building’s duty holder. Our accredited asbestos services will keep you and all users of your building safe, as well as support you in remaining compliant with the latest health and safety regulations – preventing costly fines or, in more extreme cases, imprisonment.
Providing each client with a tailored service, we carry out five types of asbestos services for food industry premises across England, including: Asbestos Refurbishment and Demolition Surveys (R&D), Asbestos Management Surveys (AMS), Asbestos Management Plans (AMP), Asbestos Removal Management and Asbestos Re-Inspections.
Other Types Of Buildings We Survey In The Public Sector:
| Restaurants & Cafes | Museums | Libraries |
| Schools | Shops | Hospitals |
OVER 30 YEARS
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ASBESTOS
Refurbishment and Demolition Surveys For The Food Industry
A Refurbishment and Demolition Asbestos Survey (otherwise referred to as an R&D Survey, formerly known as a Type 3 Asbestos Survey) is a legal requirement for any building that was constructed pre-2000 and is due to undergo significant maintenance, refurbishment or demolition works. This can apply to the whole building or just one area. An R&D survey must be carried out before any renovation or demolition takes place, as these types of works can disturb any potential asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) present within the fabric of the building.
The aim of an R&D survey is to locate any ACMs and assess their condition. As the inspection method is intrusive and thorough for this type of survey (as it is normally recommended for older buildings that pose a higher risk of containing asbestos), the building must be vacant before our asbestos consultants begin surveying the premises.
Our asbestos surveyors will only ever extract samples according to HSG264 Asbestos: The Survey Guide. These samples will then be sent to an independent UKAS accredited laboratory for testing, to confirm the presence, type and condition of asbestos at hand. Then, we will begin planning the next steps with you, should any course of action need to be taken.
“It is the duty holder’s responsibility to assess the presence, amount, location and condition of any ACMs present within their property. Such properties include all industrial, commercial or public buildings such as factories, museums, warehouses, shops, restaurants, hospitals and schools.”
Asbestos Management Surveys For The Food Industry
Asbestos Management Surveys (AMS), previously referred to as Type 2 Asbestos Surveys, adopt a much less invasive sampling method than R&D surveys. This means building users are not required to vacate the premises during the process of an AMS.
Our friendly and respectful team will always ensure minimum disruption is caused to the running of your food industry building, by aiming to only survey or collect samples from empty or unoccupied areas. Our licensed asbestos specialists will then be able to advise you on how to best manage any ACMs accordingly, either through an Asbestos Management Plan or Asbestos Removal Management.
BESPOKE ASBESTOS SERVICES
THOROUGH
ASBESTOS
SURVEYS
Asbestos Management Plans For The Food Industry
An Asbestos Management Plan (AMP) sets out the process you are committed to undertaking as a dutyholder of a food industry building, in order to manage your legal obligations of ensuring asbestos does not pose a risk to health within your premises.
What’s Included in our Asbestos Management Plans?
- A history of the materials on-site to ensure they are maintained, labelled or removed.
- Time frames for completion are based on a priority and material risk assessment scale.
- An outline of who is responsible for managing the on-site asbestos.
- The asbestos register.
- Details of any previous asbestos work that has been undertaken at the premises.
- The level of communication required to ensure the current risk of asbestos is managed effectively.
- Any training required to ensure the current risk of asbestos remains low.
Our bespoke Asbestos Management Plans are tailored to you and the unique requirements of your building, to make sure you are given all of the necessary tools to fulfil your statutory obligations as dutyholder. This helps to ensure that you are managing your asbestos risks effectively and are clearly setting out what follow-up actions are required to achieve this.
Asbestos Removal Management For The Food Industry
Asbestos Removal Management is often seen as one of the more complex and time-consuming processes by those working in the asbestos management industry. This is where our expert asbestos consultants come in. To make the process simpler and more timely for your food industry building, our professional and knowledgeable team can help you:
- Prepare the specification for the works, ensuring complete compliance with all regulations and communicating your unique requirements to a list of contractors.
- Manage the tendering process, by assessing quotations and vetting removal contractors based on their experience and compliance with all relevant health and safety regulations.
- Perform regular site audits to monitor progress and ensure that the asbestos removal contractor is carrying out work safely and compliantly.
- Advise and represent your best interests in all site meetings to help maintain agreed timescales and costs.
- Produce documentation proving that removal works were completed to a high standard at the end of the project.
Via our Asbestos Removal Management services, we will help you navigate the intricacies of UK health and safety law, guiding you through what your obligations are as a dutyholder and advising you on the best course of action to take – in order to not only remain compliant, but also keep all users of your building safe.
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Asbestos Re-Inspections For The Food Industry
Depending on the condition of any ACMs present within your food industry building, sometimes they are safe to be left in situ, as long as compliance checks are carried out regularly. This is where our Asbestos Re-Inspection services can help.
Our experienced asbestos consultants will check the condition of any ACMs left in situ at your property on a regular basis, ensuring their condition has not worsened (they haven’t become damaged, broken or crumbled) and they will not pose a risk to health. Our Asbestos Re-Inspection services are commonly advised as part of an Asbestos Management Plan, usually as a method of mitigating the risk of any ACMs left in situ. This is especially significant for food industry buildings that were built before the 1980s, as older constructions pose a higher risk of containing ACMs that may have deteriorated conditions, as well as out-of-date inspection reports.
Asbestos Surveys For The Food Industry FAQs
Where is asbestos commonly found within food industry premises?
There are several common locations asbestos can be found within food industry premises, including but not limited to:
- Asbestos insulation for ovens.
- Asbestos fireproof lining within ovens.
- Asbestos textiles within protective garments, e.g. oven gloves.
According to the HSE, other common places to find asbestos include, but are not limited to:
- Asbestos lagging, used as thermal insulation on pipes and boilers.
- Sprayed asbestos used for thermal insulation, fire protection, partitioning and ducts.
- Asbestos-Insulating Board (AIB) used for fire protection, thermal insulation, partitioning and ducts.
- Asbestos ceiling tiles.
- Asbestos floor tiles.
- Asbestos cement roofing and guttering.
- Textured coatings, e.g. asbestos in artex/popcorn ceilings.
How long will an asbestos survey take?
Depending on the type of asbestos survey required, the length of each procedure will vary. R&D surveys tend to take slightly longer, due to the more intrusive sampling method. Whereas, an Asbestos Management Survey is less time-consuming, due to its more modest approach.
What is the cost of an asbestos survey?
Asbestos survey costs can vary significantly depending on the individual requirements of your specific location(s), including: the location of suspected ACMs, any specialist equipment needed, etc.
For a better idea, get in touch with us today for a free quote.
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Areas We Offer Asbestos Surveys
ASBESTOS
SURVEYS
We undertake Asbestos Management Surveys and Refurbishment and Demolition Surveys, both of which are HSG264-compliant…
ASBESTOS
MANAGEMENT PLAN
Our Asbestos Management Plans detail how you can manage asbestos in your property, in line with legislation…
ASBESTOS REMOVAL
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
We can oversee Asbestos Removal projects to ensure a thorough, safe and compliant job is being undertaken…
