Although its use in new and refurbished buildings was banned in 1999 asbestos is going to be around for some time to come. Look across most city or townscapes and any building more than 10 years old could contain asbestos.
Earlier this year the Health and Safety Executive issued new guidance on asbestos surveys aimed both at those who carry out asbestos surveys and those with specific responsibilities for managing asbestos in non-domestic premises under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006 (CAR 2006).
The new guidance – HSG264 - updates and replaces MDHS100, being prescriptive in terms of the role the duty holder (see below) has to play in the survey process, along with clearly setting out the expectations on the asbestos surveyor and appropriate levels of competence.
Regulation 4 of CAR 2006 places an explicit duty on the owners and occupiers of non-domestic premises, who have maintenance and repair responsibilities, to asses and manage the risks from the presence of asbestos. A key aspect of meeting this duty is to undertake or have undertaken an asbestos survey of the premises.
The HSE strongly recommends the use of accredited or certified surveyors for asbestos surveys and duty holders should not appoint or instruct an independent surveyor to carry out a survey unless the surveyor is competent.
To be competent the surveyor must:
· have sufficient training, qualifications, knowledge and experience and recognise their limitations;
· have sufficient knowledge of the specific tasks to be undertaken and the risks the work will entail;
· be able to demonstrate independence and integrity;
· have an adequate quality management system;
· carry out survey in accordance with recommended guidance.(i,e, the new guide)
Building materials containing asbestos were widely used from 1930 to around 1980 and include insulating board, lagging, coating of service ducts, lift shafts etc, with asbestos cement being widely used throughout this period in a variety of forms and functions and is further complicated by the many unrecorded ad hoc use of ACMs in buildings. A knowledge of building construction techniques and design is therefore key to demonstrating competency and of particular relevance for refurbishment and demolition surveys.
Organisations can demonstrate that they are technically competent to undertake surveys for ACMs through accreditation to ISO/IEC 17020, The United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) is the sole accreditation body in the UK.
Individual surveyors can demonstrate technical competence to undertake specified surveys through holding ‘personnel’ certification from a Certification Body accredited by UKAS for this activity under ISO/IEC 17024.
Individuals without personnel certification may be able to demonstrate competency through a combination of qualifications and experience. The most widely held training qualification is the BHOS Proficiency Module P402, a basic minimum qualification for individuals carrying out asbestos surveys. This qualification on its own does not demonstrate competency, individuals must have at least six months full-time, relevant, practical field experience on asbestos surveys under the supervision of experienced and suitably qualified personnel.
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Copies of the new guidance (all 74 pages) Asbestos: The survey guide HSG264 can be downloaded free from the HSE website.