The Asbestos Regulations, why all the fuss?
Q. What types of buildings contain Asbestos?
A. Shops, Offices, Factories, Churches, Schools, Village Halls, Blocks of Flats & Apartments, etc - all commercial premises are likely to contain asbestos in many forms. The Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations applies to them all.
Over 500,000 buildings are known to contain asbestos. You should pass this information on to whoever is responsible for your building. 1000's of people die prematurely each year because of accidental exposure to asbestos fibres.
Q. What about Houses
A. Domestic premises are not covered by the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations, but they do contain asbestos and can be inspected to determine if it is creating any risk.
A. Shops, Offices, Factories, Churches, Schools, Village Halls, Blocks of Flats & Apartments, etc - all commercial premises are likely to contain asbestos in many forms. The Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations applies to them all.
Over 500,000 buildings are known to contain asbestos. You should pass this information on to whoever is responsible for your building. 1000's of people die prematurely each year because of accidental exposure to asbestos fibres.
Q. What about Houses
A. Domestic premises are not covered by the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations, but they do contain asbestos and can be inspected to determine if it is creating any risk.
Do I have to bother?
Q. What if I don't do anything?
A. The fines are onerous; companies can be fined up to £20,000. Individuals in the Company can also be fined. Directors can even be disqualified. There is also a maximum jail sentence of 2 years available to the courts for serious breaches.
More important is the fact that Asbestos is the single biggest occupational killer - inhalation of fibres can cause diseases such as Mesothelioma, Asbestosis and other cancers.
A. The fines are onerous; companies can be fined up to £20,000. Individuals in the Company can also be fined. Directors can even be disqualified. There is also a maximum jail sentence of 2 years available to the courts for serious breaches.
More important is the fact that Asbestos is the single biggest occupational killer - inhalation of fibres can cause diseases such as Mesothelioma, Asbestosis and other cancers.
Do we have to remove Asbestos?
Q. Will I have to remove the asbestos if it is in my premises?
A. No - that is not what the HSE advise, it depends on its location and condition, but you do have to know where it is and ensure it is not inadvertently disturbed. We are independent of the Asbestos removal industry and our aim is to help you to comply not to create needless removal work. We will advice when you should remove it and if it is a licensed operation. Certain asbestos materials have to be removed by a licensed operator others do not. It is important from a cost point of view to know which is which!
A. No - that is not what the HSE advise, it depends on its location and condition, but you do have to know where it is and ensure it is not inadvertently disturbed. We are independent of the Asbestos removal industry and our aim is to help you to comply not to create needless removal work. We will advice when you should remove it and if it is a licensed operation. Certain asbestos materials have to be removed by a licensed operator others do not. It is important from a cost point of view to know which is which!
What about the cost of Surveys?
Q. What should I do now and will it cost a lot of money to comply with the Regulations?
A. Not as much as you think. All you need to do is assess your buildings and prepare a management plan. You should use a Qualified Surveyor who will give you independent advice. Surveys start from only £100. It could cost a lot more not to comply with your duties. You can get a free, no commitment quotation by just calling 01332 204074 or faxing us on 01332 207915.
A. Not as much as you think. All you need to do is assess your buildings and prepare a management plan. You should use a Qualified Surveyor who will give you independent advice. Surveys start from only £100. It could cost a lot more not to comply with your duties. You can get a free, no commitment quotation by just calling 01332 204074 or faxing us on 01332 207915.
Not more Health & Safety!
Q. Is it part of Health & Safety Regulations or a new requirement?
A. The 1974 Health & Safety At Work Act first brought in these responsibilities. You have a duty of care to safeguard your staff, maintenance workers, visitors and the general public if they are on your premises.
The Asbestos Regulations were implemented from October 2004 to make sure you fulfil that obligation. Over 3000 products or materials in use in buildings are known to contain Asbestos. You can see some of them on the Home page of the CSS website.
Environmental Health Officers can issue a Prohibition Notices on your building if you are flouting the law. This can stop you using the building until you comply. You and the Directors of the company can also be fined.
A. The 1974 Health & Safety At Work Act first brought in these responsibilities. You have a duty of care to safeguard your staff, maintenance workers, visitors and the general public if they are on your premises.
The Asbestos Regulations were implemented from October 2004 to make sure you fulfil that obligation. Over 3000 products or materials in use in buildings are known to contain Asbestos. You can see some of them on the Home page of the CSS website.
Environmental Health Officers can issue a Prohibition Notices on your building if you are flouting the law. This can stop you using the building until you comply. You and the Directors of the company can also be fined.
Who'd know if I didn't bother?
Q. Why should I bother with this?
A. The HSE could visit you at any time and stop you trading. They are also likely to
check your Asbestos Register when doing routine visits concerning other issues. Your insurance company could refuse cover or reduce the compensation in the event of even a valid claim, if you are not complying with statutory Regulations.
When you sell your premises or your business due diligence will check to see if you are compliant and if you have Asbestos Registers for your buildings. Not doing so could hold up or even scupper your deal.
You would be breaking the Law if you did not know where asbestos is in your premises, and that could put lives in danger. You could go to jail for a serious breach which puts individuals at risk.
A. The HSE could visit you at any time and stop you trading. They are also likely to
check your Asbestos Register when doing routine visits concerning other issues. Your insurance company could refuse cover or reduce the compensation in the event of even a valid claim, if you are not complying with statutory Regulations.
When you sell your premises or your business due diligence will check to see if you are compliant and if you have Asbestos Registers for your buildings. Not doing so could hold up or even scupper your deal.
You would be breaking the Law if you did not know where asbestos is in your premises, and that could put lives in danger. You could go to jail for a serious breach which puts individuals at risk.
Who can do these surveys?
Q. Where can I find a Qualified Surveyor?
A. Asbestos is a specialist subject and most Chartered Surveyors are not insured to deal with it. The assessment of the condition of asbestos and the recommendations made in the report are the key issues.
CSS major in Asbestos Surveying and cover the whole of the UK. All surveyors are qualified and work to stringent quality systems as laid out in MDHS 100 - the Government guidelines relating to Asbestos Surveying. This means you can rely on us to be professional and thorough. Call us on 01332 204074 for a free quotation for Type 1, Type 2, Type 3 or sample analysis.
A. Asbestos is a specialist subject and most Chartered Surveyors are not insured to deal with it. The assessment of the condition of asbestos and the recommendations made in the report are the key issues.
CSS major in Asbestos Surveying and cover the whole of the UK. All surveyors are qualified and work to stringent quality systems as laid out in MDHS 100 - the Government guidelines relating to Asbestos Surveying. This means you can rely on us to be professional and thorough. Call us on 01332 204074 for a free quotation for Type 1, Type 2, Type 3 or sample analysis.
We work in buildings already!
Q. What do we need to know?
A. If you or your staff work in or are tied to the Construction Industry you have a duty to be aware of Asbestos.
Asbestos Awareness Training by CSS can help your staff to safeguard themselves from inadvertently disturbing suspect materials. You can ask us to provide to provide cost effective group training or you can just phone for advice or other options. If you employ people who work on buildings you have a duty to train them in Asbestos Awareness and to have evidence and records of this training.
A. If you or your staff work in or are tied to the Construction Industry you have a duty to be aware of Asbestos.
Asbestos Awareness Training by CSS can help your staff to safeguard themselves from inadvertently disturbing suspect materials. You can ask us to provide to provide cost effective group training or you can just phone for advice or other options. If you employ people who work on buildings you have a duty to train them in Asbestos Awareness and to have evidence and records of this training.
I'm still not sure!
Q. What if I want to know more but don't want to commit myself?
A. Just call for an off the record discussion. (01332 204074). We will even visit you free of charge to discuss the matter and help you to understand more about this requirement. We can provide free quotations if you just want to know the cost.
You can find independent information about the Asbestos Regulations on the Health & Safety Executive Web site:
www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos
www.hse.gov.uk/pubns
A. Just call for an off the record discussion. (01332 204074). We will even visit you free of charge to discuss the matter and help you to understand more about this requirement. We can provide free quotations if you just want to know the cost.
You can find independent information about the Asbestos Regulations on the Health & Safety Executive Web site:
www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos
www.hse.gov.uk/pubns
What types of surveys are there?
Q. I've heard that you can have different types of surveys, is this true?
A. On domestic surveys we often just take samples for analysis. But Commercial companies need better records by law and so there are three types of surveys:
A. On domestic surveys we often just take samples for analysis. But Commercial companies need better records by law and so there are three types of surveys:
Type 1 - This is a presumptive survey but does not include any analysis. If you chose this survey then you will have to sample and analyse materials every time you do work on your building in the future.
Type 2 - This is the usual type of survey. An inspection is made and suspect materials sampled and analysed. The results are then incorporated into an Asbestos Register and recommendations made based on the findings.
Type 3 - This is a more intrusive inspection required by law when major refurbishment or demolition of a building is planned.
A sample Collection and Analysis service is also available. Call us for advice as to which survey best suits your needs.
A sample Collection and Analysis service is also available. Call us for advice as to which survey best suits your needs.
What will I get?
Q. What kind of documents will I get?
A. You will receive a very professional document with photographic evidence of what has been inspected. We include a site plan to help you easily identify where any materials are specially located. You will get a Visitor Log to make sure that contractors don't disturb asbestos materials inadvertantly. This can form part of your Management Plan.
All of this will assist you in conforming with the Regulations and help you not break the law!
A. You will receive a very professional document with photographic evidence of what has been inspected. We include a site plan to help you easily identify where any materials are specially located. You will get a Visitor Log to make sure that contractors don't disturb asbestos materials inadvertantly. This can form part of your Management Plan.
All of this will assist you in conforming with the Regulations and help you not break the law!