Asbestos Pre-Refurbishment Surveys

The surveys are normally required prior to commencing building refurbishment work. As refurbishments normally involve significant disturbance or demolition of the building fabric, a greater level of intrusive inspection is required. In order to do this, some damage is inevitable during the survey process and careful planning is required to ensure that all affected areas are included and premises are vacated and safe to work in.

An essential part of this planning is an up-to-date scope of work to make sure that the areas involved and only those involved are subject to intrusive inspection. Where occupants need to return before the refurbishment commences, thoughts should be given to ‘making good’ any damage caused.

Depending on the findings, the use of an asbestos removal contractor may be required to facilitate an inspection behind existing asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) as they may hide further ACMs behind.

The objective, therefore, is to catalogue all asbestos within the affected area and quantify it, whether this is to form the basis of an asbestos removal programme, to amend the refurbishment specification, or a mixture of both. Franks Portlock consultants would be happy to assist you in this regard.