Find out more about the safety and regulations we follow to make sure every aspect of the job is done safely and according to legislation.
Asbestos Management Surveys.
We use a tried and tested method of managing each asbestos survey. Managing the asbestos in any commercial project is essential and has to be done according to the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (CAR2012). We provide professional Asbestos advice.
Managing Non-Domestic Properties
The legal requirements for non-domestic properties is:
"Asbestos, a category 1 human carcinogen , is subject to two sets of regulations – 'The Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals Regulations' (REACH 2007) 6 and 'The Control of Asbestos Regulations' (CAR 2012). REACH prohibits the importation, supply and use of asbestos. CAR 2012 covers work with asbestos, and licensing of asbestos-removal activities. Regulation 4 of CAR 2012 contains an explicit duty on the owners and occupiers of non-domestic premises, who have maintenance and repair responsibilities, to assess and manage the risks from the presence of asbestos (the duty is summarised in Figure 1). The risks will vary with circumstances and can arise from normal occupation of a building or from inadvertent disturbance during the repair, refurbishment and demolition of premises. The risk assessment will be used to produce a management plan which details and records what actions to take to manage and reduce the risks from asbestos."
The duty holders are the ones required to:
- take reasonable steps to determine the location of materials likely to contain asbestos
- presume materials to contain asbestos, unless there are good reasons not to do so
- make and maintain a written record of the location of the ACMs and presumed ACMs
- assess and monitor the condition of ACMs and presumed ACMs
- assess the risk of exposure from ACMs and presumed ACMs and prepare a written plan of the actions and measures necessary to manage the risk (ie the ‘management plan’
- take steps to see that these actions are carried out.
Management of Domestic Properties
The legal requirements are a little different with domestic properties.
Here are the rules and regulations:
"The ‘Duty to Manage asbestos’ requirements of regulation 4 of CAR 2012 do not normally apply to domestic premises. However, the requirements do apply to common parts of premises, including housing developments and blocks of flats, but do not place any direct duties on landlords for individual houses or flats. Examples of common parts would include foyers, corridors, lifts and lift shafts, staircases, boiler houses, vertical risers, gardens, yards and outhouses. The requirements do not apply to rooms within a private residence which are shared by more than one household, such as bathrooms, kitchens etc in shared houses and communal dining rooms and lounges in sheltered accommodation.
The Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 section 2, requires all employers to conduct their work so their employees will not be exposed to health and safety risks, and to provide information to other people about their workplace which might affect their health and safety. Section 3 places duties on employers and the self-employed towards people not in their employment and section 4 contains general duties for anyone who has control, to any extent, over a workplace. In addition, the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 19998 require employers to assess the health and safety risks to third parties, such as tenants who may be affected by their activities, and to make appropriate arrangements to protect them.
These requirements mean that organisations such as local authorities, housing associations, social housing management companies and others who own, or are responsible for, domestic properties, have legal duties to ensure the health and safety of their staff (and others) in domestic premises used as a place of work. As employers, the organisations also have duties under the general requirements of CAR 2012 to identify asbestos, carry out a risk assessment of work liable to expose employees to asbestos and prepare a suitable written plan of work. "
All regulations quoted above can be found here.