Asbestos Refurbishment & Demolition Surveys
At Crucial Environmental, we provide asbestos refurbishment and demolition surveys, also called R&D surveys and previously known as Type 3 surveys, to clients UK-wide, from our offices in the South East, Midlands and South West. We are accredited to BS EN ISO/IEC 17020 by UKAS to undertake Refurbishment & Demolition Asbestos Surveys (previously known as Type 3) as well as Asbestos Management Surveys (previously known as type 2), in accordance with the current HSE guidelines.
If you’re planning on carrying out any refurbishment or demolition work, either on a residential or commercial property, you’ll need an asbestos refurbishment and demolition survey. The purpose of this type of survey is to determine whether any asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) may be present in the fabric of the building which could release harmful fibres should the ACMs be disturbed during refurbishment or demolition of all or part of a building. Released fibres could then be inhaled into the lungs, possibly leading to a potentially lethal disease.
An asbestos survey like this may be particularly necessary if any maintenance or repair work is being conducted at a home or other site which was built before 1999, while the use of deadly asbestos was still legal across the construction industry.
So if you’re looking to conduct any refurb or demolition works and need to have an R&D survey for asbestos, get in touch with the team today
When Is An R&D Survey Necessary
You will need an R&D survey when refurbishing or developing all or part of a building.
Some examples include:
- Replacement of a very old boiler or other plant
- Removing Artex ceiling
- Demolition of an old garage which may contain asbestos roof panels
- Replacement of older insulating material
- When you are demolishing a building or part of a building or structure, to make way for a new construction or development
- When you are demolishing or knocking through part of a building so that you can complete renovation works
What Does An R&D Survey Involve?
A survey of this nature does incorporate rather more intrusive working methods than, for example, a management survey. That’s because ACMs may be entirely hidden within a particular structure. And the firm doing the survey will need to get to these potentially harmful materials to take a sample. What’s more, the destructive nature of an R&D survey means that workers may themselves disturb some ACMs, which in turn means that all buildings must be vacated before the survey can begin. Then, before anyone can be allowed back inside, you need to check that they are safe for people to return, i.e. they must be certified as being ‘fit for reoccupation’.
- We use fairly destructive and intrusive methods to access hard-to-reach areas like roof voids, wall interiors, solid floors and undercrofts
- Before starting work, we’ll do a live asbestos risk assessment
- Our post-survey report will sum up what we found, and provide detailed guidance on any action needed
You can also combine a management survey with an R&D survey for the areas of a site where you need the latter.
What Is The Purpose Of An Asbestos Refurbishment & Demolition Survey?
Essentially, there are two key aims to any R&D survey. These are to ensure that:
- No one will be harmed by work on ACMs in the premises, or any associated plant or equipment
- The right contractor will complete the refurbishment or demolition in the right way
Your Post-Survey Report
The report that you receive at the end of your refurbishment and demolition survey will contain various results, laid out in a way that is easy to understand. In the report, you will find:
- A summary of the survey
- The main findings and the scope of survey including any sampling results
- Overall recommendations and conclusions
- Any further actions required
- The name of the UKAS-accredited laboratory carrying out the analysis of any samples samples
FAQs
Could my property contain asbestos?
If your property was built before the year 2000, it is possible that it may contain asbestos. While the use of asbestos was made illegal by regulations in 1999, it had been a material that was commonly used in building and construction. You should not assume that because asbestos is currently banned that it cannot be in your property.
Why should I get an asbestos survey?
An asbestos survey is valuable for a number of reasons. In the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 it states that in non-domestic premises, there must be a plan in place to minimise the risk of asbestos exposure to employees. When you have a survey carried out it can identify any asbestos currently on your premises and provide details on where the ACM is located and their current condition. From these details you will be able to create your asbestos management plan.
If you are a homeowner and you suspect you have asbestos on the property, you are not required by law to have a plan in place. However, many homeowners naturally want to be aware of the existence of the material so that they can take steps to protect themselves and anyone living there from exposure.
Are there different types of asbestos survey?
Yes. Depending on your needs and requirements you can choose from a variety of asbestos surveys. At Crucial Environmental, we offer asbestos management surveys which are designed to locate and assess any asbestos in a property and establish the condition. These can be used for businesses to create an asbestos management plan.
If you are planning to have work carried out on your property or you are having the entire building demolished and are worried about disturbing asbestos or ACMs, you should opt for an asbestos refurbishment and demolition survey. This survey will use invasive and destructive techniques to establish the extent of asbestos within the fabric of the property.
If you are buying a property and are worried about the potential for asbestos, you should choose a home buyer asbestos survey. This will look into the asbestos and ACMs in the property that you are considering purchasing so that you can make an informed choice.
Where could I find asbestos in my property?
Asbestos was a commonly used building material with a wide variety of uses. This means that it can be found in a huge number of places throughout residential and commercial properties. It has been used in insulation, cement, ceiling tiles, water tanks, piping, chimneys, partition walls and more. It’s very possible that you could live in work in proximity to asbestos without being aware of it.
Who is responsible for asbestos in commercial buildings?
Generally it is the owner of the commercial or industrial property who is responsible for asbestos management, but if you are a landlord, tenant or managing agent, you should check your contract to establish whether you are responsible. If the contract indicates that you are responsible, it is up to you to carry out a risk assessment and have a plan in place to limit the risk of any exposure to asbestos. Having an asbestos survey carried out is the first step in this process.
Is asbestos dangerous?
It can be. Undamaged asbestos that has not be disturbed is a relatively low risk and poses no immediate danger to health. But when the material is disturbed and fibres are released into the atmosphere it can be breathed into the lungs. This is when asbestos is a hazard to your health.
How can I identify asbestos?
Identifying asbestos can be very difficult, not least because it was often used within other materials such as cement and spray coatings, meaning it’s not always visible or obvious. Some materials containing asbestos look identical to those that don’t have asbestos. The only truly effective way to identify asbestos is to have a survey carried out by professionals.
If I have asbestos, do I need to remove it?
No. Many commercial property or home owners believe that if they have asbestos on their property, the best thing to do is to remove it, but this isn’t the case at all. In fact if the asbestos is in good condition, it’s usually much safer to leave it in place and ensure that it is not disturbed. Your asbestos survey will guide you as to whether you need to have the asbestos removed.
Contact Us
If you need to have either a Management Survey or a Refurbishment and Demolition Survey carried out, Crucial Environmental can help you. Please contact us today if you have any questions or would like to book for us to come and survey your property. All reports are emailed to you in PDF format.
For more information or to find out your asbestos survey cost, Call us on 01903 297818 or complete our contact form today!