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 Assessments
ASBESTOS SURVEYING
In January 2010, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) published the HSG 264 'Asbestos: The survey guide', which replaces and expands on MDHS 100.
The HSG264 sets out how to survey and assess asbestos containing materials (ACMs). There are two types of survey referred to in the HSG 264.
Management Survey
A management survey is the standard survey. Its purpose is to locate the presence and extent of any suspect ACMs.
Management surveys can involve a combination of sampling to confirm asbestos is present or presuming asbestos to be present.
It should also include an assessment of the condition of the various ACMs and their ability to release fibres into the air, if they are disturbed in some way.
This type of survey may be conducted:
• where sites have a mixture of asbestos and non-asbestos materials
• for large uniform properties such as Housing Stock Surveys.
Access will be necessary to all areas that can be readily accessed, such
as, ceiling voids, risers, service ducts and lift shafts etc. Surveying may also involve some
minor intrusive work, such as accessing behind fascia and panels and other
surfaces or superficial materials.
Additional tradespersons will be required at site to aid the surveyor, ie. lift engineers,
boiler and electrical engineers.
If an area is not accessed, it is presumed to contain asbestos.
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Refurbishment and Demolition
This type of survey is used to locate and describe, as far as reasonably practicable, all ACMs in the area where the refurbishment
work will take place or in the whole building if demolition is planned.
The survey must be designed to be intrusive. This can present problems, as a Refurbishment and Demolition
survey is not easily performed in occupied buildings.
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Pre-Survey Work
This should wherever possible be a key element in all surveys and is necessary for all types
of survey.
It should include:
• an assessment of any available plans
• an inspection of the site to include an assessment of any hazards
• production of a suitable and relevant risk assessments.
The sampling of asbestos materials unless undertaken correctly is hazardous task.
Materials can have varying compositions and knowledge of this is essential.
HSG 264 details the amount of samples that need to be collected from different materials.
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ASSESSMENTS
Assessments of materials under HSG 264 will be composed of 2 elements:
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Material Assessment Algorithm |
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Risk assessment of each sample that contains asbestos products |
Material Assessment Algorithm. This is proposed to have 4 components
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The type of products - insulation or floor tiles |
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The condition of the material - good, fair or poor |
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What surface treatment is present on the material - unsealed or painted |
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The asbestos type present in the material - Chrysotile Amosite Crocidolite |
These variables when combined will assist in determining the ability of a material to release asbestos fibre
Poor, untreated, loosely bound material, eg pipe insulation, will score higher than well bound sealed materials, eg floor tiles.
Many factors will play an important role in determining the accuracy of a survey:
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The surveyor must be a suitably qualified and experienced Building Surveyor with knowledge of buildings construction - type, design, age, form and function. |
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The surveyor must also have achieved as a minimum BIOH P402 certification. |
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The surveyor must be able to demonstrate independence, impartiality and integrity. |
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Have adequate insurances in place professional indemnity public and employers liability. |
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Ensure that the surveying company is an accredited Inspection body
to the government approved body for asbestos inspection Ukas and also to the
recognised standard BS EN ISO/IEC 17020.
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Managing & Uses
