Asbestos Surveys in the Stockport, Manchester, Bolton, Warrington, Preston, Leeds and Nationwide
Asbestos is regarded as the single greatest cause of work-related deaths in the UK. As long as it is not disturbed or damaged then it doesn’t pose too much of a risk if the material is managed correctly; however if you have plans for any refurbishment or demolition works, it is your duty to have an Asbestos Survey carried out to identify if you have any Asbestos within your property that may need to be safely removed prior to works commencing, therefore avoiding any potential health risk. Call Knight Specialist Services on 0161 333 0767 and our team can carry out an asbestos survey and assess any risks that may be present within your property.
Using asbestos in the construction or refurbishment of any premises is now illegal. Historically many thousands of tonnes of it were used in the past in the manufacture and protection of: Pipework and plant lagging, fireproof insulation panels, roofing material and structural steel work insulation, to name a few.
We offer two types of asbestos survey
There are two different types of asbestos survey that can be carried out by Knight Surveys Ltd., as well as compliance reinspections. These are:
Asbestos Management Survey
The standard survey is called a Management Survey. Its purpose is to locate, as far as reasonably practicable, the presence and extent of any suspect asbestos containing materials within a building, which could be damaged or disturbed during normal occupancy. This level of survey is for buildings where there are no current plans for refurbishment, maintenance, demolition or alterations to be carried out. Should any works be planned on a property then you would need to refer to an intrusive Asbestos Refurbishment/Demolition Survey.
Refurbishment or Demolition Survey
A refurbishment or demolition survey is required before any refurbishment or demolition work is carried out. These types of surveys are used to locate, as far as reasonably practicable, all asbestos containing materials in the area where the refurbishment work will take place or in the whole building if demolition is planned. The survey will be fully intrusive and involve destructive inspection, as necessary, to gain access to all areas, including those that may be difficult to reach.
What does an Asbestos Survey involve?
Knight Surveys Ltd are experienced to carry out asbestos surveys in accordance with HSE guidance, in order to comply with the duty to manage in the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012.
Of course we follow strict health and safety procedures at all times whether they are surveying a domestic property or on site with large organisations where we need to comply with company health & safety protocol.
The purpose of any survey is to:
• Locate and record the locations, extent and product type of any presumed or known Asbestos containing material as far as is reasonably practicable
• Inspect and record information on the accessibility, condition and surface treatment of any presumed or known material
• Determine and record the asbestos type, either by sampling and analysis or by making presumptions based on product type and appearance, etc. We provide a complete asbestos management service to ensure that clients fully comply with their duty to manage under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012.
Asbestos Testing
Taking a small sample of suspect asbestos containing materials is undertaken by a trained and competent surveyor. Full personal protective workwear is worn and the area prepared prior to taking the sample. Once the sample has been safely taken the material is seal in appropriate bags and labelled accordingly. A detailed inspection is undertakedn by the competent surveyor to confirm the process has been completed safely.
The sample is delivered to a UKAS laboratory where by the the sample is initially examined by eye, and then a more detailed examination is undertaken using a low power microscope. Fibres observed in these examinations are categorised on the observable physical characteristics and, on this basis, are drawn from the sample and placed in the appropriate Refractive Index (RI) liquid.
Once mounted in the correct RI liquid, the fibres are then positively identified as one of the six regulated asbestos types on the basis of their detailed optical properties using polarised light microscopy.
As necessary, one or more representative sub-samples may be prepared for further examination. A good example of the need to take sub-samples is with vinyl floor tiles, where the tile itself might contain asbestos or the adhesive layer might also contain asbestos.
Asbestos is regarded as the single greatest cause of work-related deaths in the UK. You can read more about the risks of Asbestos on the UK Government’s HSE website HERE.
Contact us to arrange an Asbestos Survey
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