Which asbestos survey do I need?

Start with how the building is used

HSG264 distinguishes between a management survey for normal occupation and a refurbishment and demolition survey for work that will disturb the building fabric. The intended use of the information determines how intrusive the survey should be.

AsbestosInspection.co.uk is an enquiry service. It does not carry out surveys, take samples, analyse materials or undertake asbestos work, and it does not hold UKAS accreditation or an HSE licence. The independent provider responding to your enquiry should confirm the correct survey type and scope.

Occupied or in normal use

Where a building is in use, a management survey is generally appropriate. Its purpose is to locate, so far as reasonably practicable, the presence and extent of suspect materials that could be damaged or disturbed during normal occupation, including foreseeable routine and simple maintenance.

• May include sampling to confirm materials, or presumption where appropriate
• Typically involves some intrusive inspection, depending on the building
• Supports an asbestos register and ongoing management arrangements

A management survey is not designed to fully expose hidden construction. Its findings are therefore limited to what is reasonably accessible without significant disturbance.

Routine maintenance versus intrusive work

Management surveys are intended to inform day-to-day occupation and foreseeable routine maintenance. However, where planned work will disturb walls, ceilings, floors, risers or fixed services beyond what was inspected, further investigation is normally required.

In those circumstances, a refurbishment and demolition survey should be carried out for the specific work area. In practice, this is often referred to as a refurbishment survey. It is intrusive and may involve opening up the structure so that materials likely to be affected by the work can be identified in advance.

Planned refurbishment or installation

For refurbishment or installation works, the survey should be scoped to the areas where the work will take place. The level of intrusion should be sufficient to locate materials that could be disturbed by that work.

• Usually limited to the defined work area
• May require isolating parts of the building during inspection
• Typically undertaken before work starts so risks can be managed

If the planned work changes, the survey scope may need to be reviewed to ensure it still covers all affected areas.

Demolition

For demolition, a refurbishment and demolition survey is required for the whole building or the relevant part. It is fully intrusive and aims to identify, as far as reasonably practicable, all asbestos-containing materials before demolition proceeds.

Because of the level of intrusion, these surveys are normally carried out in unoccupied areas, with appropriate controls in place.

Only one material to check?

If you only need to determine whether a specific item contains asbestos, this is sampling and analysis, not a full survey. A competent person takes a representative sample, which is analysed by a UKAS-accredited laboratory.

• Suitable for a single item or clearly defined location
• Does not assess the wider building
• Does not replace a survey where broader information is required

A surveyor may record a material as presumed asbestos based on inspection, but laboratory analysis is required to confirm whether asbestos is present.

Using existing information

Before commissioning new work, review any existing asbestos information. A previous management survey may still be relevant if it is recent, covers the correct areas and clearly records any limitations.

• Confirm the type of survey
• Check the areas covered
• Review any limitations or exclusions
• Consider whether conditions have changed since it was produced

If planned work extends beyond the original scope, or if the information is incomplete, a targeted refurbishment and demolition survey is normally required for the affected areas.

Legal duties and context

In Great Britain, those in control of non-domestic premises have a duty to manage asbestos. Employers and the self-employed must also identify the presence and condition of asbestos before work liable to disturb it.

Within private domestic dwellings, the duty to manage does not generally apply to the interior of a single home, but it does apply to common parts of domestic premises such as stairwells and plant areas. Employers and contractors working in domestic properties still have duties to assess asbestos risk and prevent exposure before starting work.

In practice, this means ensuring that reliable, site-specific information is available before work begins. That may come from an existing survey, targeted sampling or a new refurbishment and demolition survey, depending on the circumstances.

Accreditation and competence

HSE guidance recommends using organisations accredited by UKAS to ISO/IEC 17020 for asbestos surveying. Laboratories that analyse samples to determine whether they contain asbestos are required to be accredited to ISO/IEC 17025. When selecting a provider, check that any accreditation claimed is current and relevant to the work required.

Quick decision guide

• Occupied, normal use and routine maintenance → Management survey
• Work that will disturb the structure → Refurbishment and demolition survey scoped to the work area
• Demolition → Refurbishment and demolition survey for the whole building or relevant part
• Single item only → Sampling and analysis