Asbestos Survey Types
There are two main types of asbestos survey in the UK. Which one you need depends on what you're planning to do with the building.
Management survey
A management survey is the standard survey required to manage asbestos during normal building use. It's the survey you need to fulfil your duty to manage asbestos under Regulation 4.
When do you need one?
- You own or manage a non-domestic building
- You need to locate asbestos that could be disturbed during normal occupancy or routine maintenance
- You need to create an asbestos register and management plan
What does it involve?
- Visual inspection of accessible areas
- Minor sampling of suspected materials for laboratory analysis
- Assessment of the condition and risk of any ACMs found
- A written report with an asbestos register
Refurbishment and demolition survey
A refurbishment and demolition (R&D) survey is more intrusive. It's required before any refurbishment or demolition work, and it aims to find all asbestos in the area where work will take place.
When do you need one?
- Before any refurbishment work that could disturb the building fabric
- Before partial or full demolition
- Before major maintenance or upgrade work (e.g. rewiring, replumbing, new heating systems)
What does it involve?
- Intrusive inspection — may involve breaking into walls, ceilings, and floors
- The area being surveyed must be vacated and may need to be made safe first
- All asbestos-containing materials must be identified and located
- A detailed report specifying exactly what needs to be removed before work begins
Comparison
| Management | Refurbishment & Demolition | |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Manage asbestos during normal use | Locate all asbestos before building work |
| Scope | Whole building | Area where work is planned |
| Invasiveness | Non-destructive / minor sampling | Intrusive / destructive inspection |
| Occupancy | Building can remain occupied | Area must be vacated |
| Legal basis | Regulation 4 (duty to manage) | Regulation 7 (plans of work) |
Who can carry out surveys?
Asbestos surveys should be carried out by a competent surveyor. The HSE recommends using surveyors accredited by UKAS (the UK Accreditation Service) to the ISO 17020 standard.
If the survey identifies asbestos that needs to be removed, the removal must be carried out by an HSE-licensed contractor — especially for higher-risk materials like sprayed coatings, lagging, and insulation board.
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