Reputable Asbestos Surveys in Lancashire
If you’re Demolishing, renovating, rebuilding your home or commercial premises, it is widely recommended that you have a thorough survey to check for any signs of asbestos. Having an asbestos survey completed in advance of any work starting can prevent costly delays and the possibility of your contractors downing tools after locating signs of asbestos.
The refurbishment / demolition survey is required where the premises, or part of it, need upgrading, refurbishment or demolition. The survey does not need a record of the condition of asbestos-containing materials (ACM).
A Refurbishment / demolition survey aims to ensure that:
Get a quick quote for an asbestos inspection or survey and get more information on the HSE Government here.
Different councils and contractors have different requirements and use different words. You may be asked for an:
HSE guidelines have been changed in relation to Type 1, Type 2 & Type 3 asbestos surveys
These surveys are required for the day to day management of commercial premises. These surveys will assist the duty holder to comply with their Health & Safety at Work obligations.
Having a management survey carried out of the premises does not constitute full compliance with your asbestos or any other Health & Safety obligations. A management survey should be used as part of an ongoing management plan to minimise the risk of exposure to employees, staff, contractors, public etc. A good asbestos management plan will continually monitor, assess the risk & take suitable actions where ACM’s are concerned.
If you are unsure, please contact WR Asbestos Surveys and we will be happy to advise you.
A management survey usually involves minor intrusive work such as removing ceiling tiles, accessing behind wall panels and will usually require the surveyor to take samples of suspect material which can then be analysed at our laboratories.
The new Health & Safety Guide – HSG 264 guidelines state that it is no longer acceptable to conduct simplistic visual surveys of premises and that asbestos surveyors should deploy a thorough, deep & intrusive scan of the building, by taking any means necessary to access all areas of that building in their pursuit to locate ACM’s.
These surveys are required where a building (or part of it) is to be refurbished or demolished and where the fabric of the building is to be disturbed. These types of surveys will be fully intrusive and involve destructive inspection, where necessary, to gain access behind walls, under floors, ceiling cavities etc…..
Again, The new Health & Safety Guide – HSG 264 guidelines state that it is no longer acceptable to conduct simplistic surveys of premises and when conducting refurbishment/demolition surveys asbestos surveyors should take any means necessary to gain access to all areas of the building where the refurbishment/demolition work is to take place.
An asbestos survey of a building that is to be refurbished/demolished may consist of both a management survey & and a refurbishment/demolition survey.
Whatever is required, WR Asbestos Surveys can provide you with all the necessary documentation to meet the requirements and start the construction process faster.
Even if an asbestos survey hasn’t been requested, WR Asbestos Surveys are happy to quote on doing an asbestos inspection for your home or site. An inspection will give you the peace of mind of knowing exactly where any asbestos exists in your house or premises, whether you need to take any safety precautions around it right now, and whether you need to have the asbestos professionally removed before any future renovations.
Asbestos Testing in Building Material such as fibre cement, corrugated fibre cement material and vinyl tiles.
WR Asbestos Surveys offers an asbestos testing service that allows you to determine whether asbestos is present in any suspected materials, such as fibre cement, corrugated fibre cement material and vinyl tiles. This service is open to commercial and residential customers.
For more information and instructions on preparing a sample, please read the important information below. Alternatively, for general enquiries, ask us to see how we can help you.
There are precautions you should take before attempting to sample any material suspected of containing asbestos.
Disturbing loose fibrous insulation material that contains asbestos is extremely dangerous. It is highly recommended that sampling is carried out by qualified individuals.
Certain material type release asbestos fibres more readily when disturbed or broken. With this in mind, do not sample yourself material that looks like it might have a sprayed finish, particularly if it is insulating material on pipework, boilers or ceilings.
The word “asbestos” comes from a Greek word meaning “inextinguishable” or “unquenchable”. For thousands of years this curious mineral has been highly valued due to its tensile strength and chemical inertness as well as the insulation from heat and electricity it is famous for. Asbestos was also fairly easy to mine which added to its versatility.
The popularity and versatility of asbestos increased its demand by industrial societies; over 3000 different uses and applications for asbestos exist worldwide. The indiscriminate use of this material cut a path of death through the industrial revolution.
Asbestos mining continued productively in Australia until 1984 most of the production being chrysolite and crocidolite.
ACMs can bed categorized as either friable or non-friable. The most common type to be found in our building environments is non-friable, which has been mixed in with other building materials. Friable asbestos exists in forms that can be crushed or pulverized and become airborne.
Regardless of being friable or non-friable, asbestos that has not been carefully maintained or properly removed can pose a serious health risk for anyone coming in contact. The largest health risks come from buildings or sites where there are:
– Ambient levels of asbestos
– Weather damaged ACMs
– Any kind of ACM in disrepair
– Construction and/ or Maintenance work using ACMs
– Deconstruction and/ or removal of ACMs
We’re here to tackle your asbestos problems, contact us today to enquire about our commercial & industrial asbestos removal services.