MANAGEMENT

Regulation 4 ‘The Duty to Manage’ from the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006, places 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.

In principal the asbestos survey and associated assessments are used to produce an asbestos management plan which details and records what actions to take to manage and reduce the risks from asbestos.

The type of survey that you have is generally your choice, but may change if you decide to carryout some refurbishment or demolition activities.

Whichever survey you choose will assist you in putting into place an ‘Asbestos Management Plan’.

Remember your duties do not just stop because you have had a survey carried out in your premises.

They are only just starting, you have to manage the asbestos that you have found and ensure that everyone from employees, contractors and members of the public are fully protected.

Click on the following link to see what is required in an ‘Asbestos Management Plan’

What is a Management survey

A management survey is the standard survey. Its purpose is to locate, as far as ireasonably 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.

Management surveys will often involve minor intrusive work and some disturbance.

The extent of intrusion will vary between premises and depend on what is reasonably practicable for individual properties, ie it will depend on factors such as the type of building, the nature of construction, accessibility etc.

A management survey should include 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.

This ‘material assessment’ will give a good initial guide to the priority for managing ACMs as it will identify the materials which will most readily release airborne fibres if they are disturbed.

The survey will usually involve sampling and analysis to confirm the presence or absence of ACMs.

However a management survey can also involve presuming the presence or absence of asbestos. A management survey can be completed using a combination of sampling ACMs and presuming ACMs or, indeed, just presuming.

Any materials presumed to contain asbestos must also have their condition assessed (ie a material assessment).