With research showing the deadly diseases associated with asbestos exposure, a number of laws have been passed over the years to ensure the safety of people in the community. One of the most significant pieces of law is Regulation 4, which relates to people's duty to manage asbestos.
The regulation's main application is to do with non-domestic properties and places responsibility on the "duty holder" to ensure they identify, manage and properly monitor asbestos in the building.
A definition of the term "duty holder" is outilned within the Approved Code of Practice 127. The definition in this code extends to employers and self-employed people if they are responsible for the maintenance of a non-domestic property. To summarise, if you control the maintenance of a non-domestic building, then by definition you'll be a "duty holder".
Asbestos surveys come into play here. Anybody deemed to be a "duty holder" must do inspections of the premises and typically most "duty holders" hire a specialist for this job. The results of these inspections must be recorded and maintained for the life of the premises. Any contractors on your premises have the right to view this register for their own safety.
The surveys that an independent specialist performs are outlined in the MDHS 100 Surveying Sampling and Assessment of Asbestos Containing Materials Guidance. These include:-
Survey of Location & Assessment
The aim of this survey is to find any asbestos on the property and assess its potential impact. Basically, it's a presumptive survey.
Standard sampling
This survey is for assessing and identifying the suspect asbestos products. In this survey samples are taken of the suspect materials to determine whether they contain asbestos or not. If it's a small job this test can be performed on site, but in a lot of cases samples need to be sent away.
Full access and ID survey
This survey is sometimes called a pre-demolition or refurbishment survey. The purpose of the survey is to study each of the products containing asbestos in the premises. Rather than take a few samples, in this case a full sampling program is done to identify in detail the levels of asbestos in the building and the extent of the material. Usually this survey takes place to work out whether a building needs to be demolished or whether a refurbishment will suffice.
Click the following link for more information about asbestos surveys.
- Related Videos
- Related Articles
- Ask / Related Q&A




Home Improvement: Preparing Your Home for Winter
By: Eugene R. Makeev | 20/12/2009Even before the air turns crisp, one of the most essential thought that you should entertain is how to prepare your home for winter. Other than affording your family the warmth and comfort they deserve, this is also the time when energy costs balloon to some extent. To protect your budget from being busted and your New York home from possible damages, here are ways to keep homes in top-tip shape to endure the inconveniences of the icy, cold months.
How to Clean Metal Window Blinds
By: Dave Matthews | 20/12/2009If you have metal window blinds mounted over your windows then you will know only too well how dusty they can get. It's almost as if metal window blinds are a magnet for dust and it is very easy to forget to clean them regularly. For some people this isn't...
The Marvels of Janitorial Cleaning Supplies
By: Loren Yadeski | 20/12/2009Have you ever thought of how they maintain the nicest hotels, malls, parks and restaurants clean and fresh even though there are a lot of people coming in and out every day? Whoever is in charge of the cleanliness and maintenance of these establishments, definitely the cleaning products that were...
Tile and Stone Flooring
By: Eugene R. Makeev | 20/12/2009Tile and stone flooring ranks among the most durable of options that when installed properly can withstand the lifetime of your home and even more. Other than the inherent strength, these offer almost everything that you will ever need for a flooring that is both functional and stylish. Though these choices make up for great investments, there are still essential things about tile and stone flooring you need to know for you and your New York home to fully avail of all the possible benefits.
Cleaning Services For Bathroom And Toilet
By: Loren Yadeski | 20/12/2009Toilet and bathroom cleaning is one of the household tasks you wish to get through quickly. You must give an extra effort in scrubbing, washing, wiping, and brushing to achieve the desired cleanliness unlike cleaning the living rooms or bedrooms which only requires sweeping, vacuum cleaning, and mopping. Despite all...
How to Paint Your Walls
By: Richard Hall | 20/12/2009Decorating is an activity undertaken by almost every home owner at some stage or another and more often than not involves an element of wall painting. Wall colours and the type of paint you chose can set the entire look and feel of a room and therefore applying it in...
Stone Fireplace Surrounds - Naturally Durable Type That Requires Less Maintenance
By: Lisa Becker | 20/12/2009A fireplace surround is a covering put on the outside walls of fireplace. A stone fireplace surround can be carved into any form of you choose. It can vary from modern to traditional designs and is available in different shapes. Some are ready made, while others are custom made. In...
Traditional Mantel Shelves
By: Lisa Becker | 20/12/2009Enhance the style and elegance of your fireplace with traditional mantel shelves. Mantel shelves are decorative shelves that are mounted above a fireplace to provide a distinctive and effortless eye-catching presence. Traditional mantel shelves also accentuate the warmth and coziness of a fireplace to give a room character. Traditional mantel shelves...
The Facts on Asbestos Exposure
By: Troy Johns | 11/06/2009 | Home ImprovementThis article looks at the most common diseases caused by asbestos exposure. It provides detailed information such as symptoms, and offers external links for further reading.
Asbestos Surveys: The Things to Know
By: Troy Johns | 10/06/2009 | Home ImprovementThis article details the primary regulations surrounding the handling of asbestos, and outlines the types of surveys undertaken by contractors. It also links to an external source for further information.
Remove Asbestos Dust From The Worksite
By: Troy Johns | 10/06/2009 | Home ImprovementThe term asbestos applies to certain mineral fibres that historically were used in the building and construction industries because of their insulating and fire-proof nature as well as their great strength. It has recently been proven that breathing in asbestos fibres can cause diseases like lung cancer, mesothelioma and pleural plaques. Given this, anybody who intends to remove asbestos from their property should use the utmost care.
Removing Asbestos: A Checklist
By: Troy Johns | 10/06/2009 | Home ImprovementHome renovators must constantly worry about coming across the dreaded product asbestos when doing their work. The potential dangers and panic are a real concern, as well as the hassle of having to deal with the problem. Remove asbestos yourself if you are game but first make sure that you have all of the neccessary equipment and correct protection to prevent any dangers in and out of the place infected with asbestos.
Vinyl Asbestos Tiles Removal Project Going On? Here's Something to Note
By: Troy Johns | 28/05/2009 | RemodelingAsbetsos particles are dangerous if inhaled because they stick to lung walls, which over time can lead to diseases like cancer and pleural plaques. So it's very important to take the proper steps when undertaking vinyl asbestos tiles removal projects. Here's our advice.