Asbestos Survey Types

Under the guidance set out by the Health and Safety Executive (HSG264) , there are two types of asbestos survey – Asbestos Management Surveys and asbestos refurbishment or demolition surveys. Hurst Solutions also provide a third type of survey - the Residential Asbestos Survey.

Asbestos Management Survey

(formerly Type 1 Asbestos Survey or Type 2 Asbestos Survey)

An Asbestos Management Survey is usually carried out to satisfy the mandatory requirements placed on a building owner, landlord, tenant (the “duty-holder”) by The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006.

An asbestos management survey is the standard survey. Its purpose is to locate, as far as reasonably practicable, the presence and extent of any suspect ACMs in the building which could be damaged or disturbed during normal occupancy, including foreseeable maintenance and installation, and to assess their condition.

Asbestos management surveys will usually involve discrete intrusive work and minor disturbance. The survey includes 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.

The survey may involve sampling and analysis to confirm the presence or absence of ACMs. However it can also involve presuming the presence or absence of asbestos. It can also be completed using a combination of sampling ACMs and presuming ACMs or, indeed, just presuming.

The HSG264 Asbestos Management Survey supercedes the MDHS100 Type 1 or Type 2 Survey.

Refurbishment and Demolition Asbestos Survey

(formerly Type 3 Asbestos Survey)

An Asbestos Refurbishment or Demolition survey is needed before any refurbishment or demolition work is carried out. 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 is fully intrusive and involves destructive inspection, as necessary, to gain access to all areas, including those that may be difficult to reach. A refurbishment or demolition survey may also be required in other circumstances, for example when more intrusive maintenance and repair work will be carried out or for plant removal or dismantling.

There is a specific requirement in The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006 (Regulation 7) for all ACMs to be removed as far as reasonably practicable before major refurbishment or final demolition. Removing ACMs is also appropriate in other smaller refurbishment situations which involve structural or layout changes to buildings (for example removal of partitions, walls, units etc). The survey does not normally assess the condition of the asbestos, other than to indicate areas of damage or where additional asbestos debris may be present. However, where the asbestos removal may not take place for some time, the ACMs’ condition will need to be assessed and the materials managed (see Asbestos Management Survey).

The Refurbishment and Demolition Survey supercedes the MDHS100 Type 3 Asbestos Survey.

Residential Asbestos Survey

Whilst not formally expressed by the Health and Safety Executive Guidance, Hurst Solutions are often asked to undertake asbestos inspections to private dwelling, usually for piece of mind. We have adapted the Asbestos Management Survey to so that our residential survey includes all the relevant risk assessments and guidance to satisfy the homeowner or tenant.

Hurst Solutions has a team of highly experienced surveyors  who are able to perform each of the three types of asbestos survey detailed above.

The type of asbestos survey most appropriate will be dependent on client/property specific requirements.

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