Refurbishment Works: What are the key considerations when it comes to asbestos management?

22nd July 2016

A recent incident and subsequent fine against a large car manufacturer has highlighted the need for stringent asbestos management processes. The firm was prosecuted when the scope of plant replacement works changed, and asbestos insulating board was disturbed, exposing workers to asbestos fibres.

Regardless of your industry, workplace or resources, what are the key considerations for asbestos management? Here, one of our specialist asbestos consultants provides some key advice:

“This case highlights the need to undertake refurbishment / demolition surveys prior to refurbishment works. This type of asbestos survey is designed to locate all asbestos materials within the areas to be subject to work and involves destructive inspection, as necessary, to gain access to all areas. A refurbishment and demolition survey may also be required in other circumstances, e.g. when more intrusive maintenance and repair work will be carried out or for plant removal or dismantling. In this instance, once the method statement for the work was issued, detailing the work locations and procedures, the asbestos survey should have been undertaken in accordance with this to confirm the presence of any asbestos containing materials in the areas to be subject to refurbishment.

“Secondly, the importance of a stringent asbestos management process is also shown here, as the asbestos register was not fully available to the contractor. As part of the ongoing asbestos management of a property, any contractors undertaking work should be given details of the location of asbestos containing materials in the building to ensure that these are not likely to be disturbed during the course of their work. If the extent or presence of asbestos has not been determined, further investigation (i.e. refurbishment / demolition surveys) is required prior to the commencement of work.”

The duty to manage and identification of asbestos is a legal requirement under the Control of Asbestos Regulations (CAR) 2012 for any property constructed prior to November 1999, when the use of asbestos in the UK was prohibited. Our dedicated team of asbestos consultants assist our clients daily with asbestos management plans, processes, surveys and advice. In addition, the RiskWise Asbestos Register provides the easiest solution for managing asbestos information online – providing full visibility of information to contractors and other stakeholders. For further guidance or information, please contact our experienced team.