An asbestos inspection may be undertaken for a number of possible reasons. Within commercial or industrial premises, it is carried out to comply with the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006 which requires company management to protect its employees and contractors from harmful exposure to asbestos fibres. An asbestos inspection may be carried out on residential property to satisfy the owner or occupier that there are no harmful materials, or as part of the home-buying process, often as a negotiating tool!
In any event, the process is the same, and the asbestos inspection, otherwise known as a survey, will be completed by an experienced asbestos surveyor trained and qualified to BOHS level P402. The surveyor will inspect the property, talk to the occupier and prepare a basic plan of the building. The plan will then be used to record details of suspect materials found during the asbestos inspection, and especially location details for any samples the surveyor may remove.
These samples are very small, and the material remaining is sealed to prevent any further fibres from escaping. Any minor residue is removed from the site of the sample by the surveyor before completion of the asbestos inspection, and if required by the client, the sample area will be labelled. For his own protection, the surveyor may wear protective clothing while taking samples – this does not mean that other people near by are at risk, but they may be asked to leave a room for a few minutes during the sampling process.
The surveyor will also take site notes and digital photographs of suspect materials to incorporate in to the report which will be prepared following assessment of the risks associated with asbestos containing materials. These risk assessments will become a vital part of the management plan which will protect those employees working in a building. Some initial feedback is normally offered to a client at the end of the asbestos inspection, before the surveyor leaves site.
