If your business owns its premises or is responsible for the premises it works in, then it may be the case that you need an asbestos management plan.
Asbestos was once an extremely commonly used building material, prized for its insulation property and its ability to make building materials stronger. However, asbestos was completely banned from use in the UK in 1999 after it was shown that long-term exposure to the material could lead to several debilitating and potentially deadly lung conditions and cancers.
Under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, it is considered to be the responsibility of the owner or manager of any non-residential property to have a duty of care regarding asbestos. This means that you must have an asbestos management plan in place if there is asbestos located anywhere across your premises.
Remember that any property in the UK that was built before 2000 could contain asbestos, and having a management plan is a legal requirement.
How to establish if you need an asbestos management plan
It is important to first understand whether you have asbestos on your property. Just because you don’t know about it, doesn’t mean it isn’t there. Asbestos can be hidden inside other building materials, and it can look identical to substances that are not dangerous.
The only way to know for certain if there is asbestos on your property is to have an asbestos survey carried out. These surveys are important as they are the first step in creating an asbestos management plan.
On the report provided at the end of the survey, you will be given details of any asbestos found at your property as well as guidance for the next steps.
If you are concerned about asbestos at your property, or if you believe you need asbestos removal or to put an asbestos management plan in place, contact the team at Crucial Environmental today. We have removed asbestos for schools, restaurants and all types of commercial businesses.