HSE NewsAsbestos Regulations Asbestos-containing materials were used for a wide range of construction purposes in new and refurbished buildings until 1999 when all use of asbestos was banned.
“Asbestos: The survey guide” is aimed at those who commission asbestos surveys, the surveyors who carry them out and those who use them such as architects and demolition or removal contractors. It replaces the MDHS 100 guidance.
It gives advice on how to select a competent surveyor − recommending the use of ABICS certified or UKAS accredited organisations and what the client should expect from them.
It also contains greater detail on conducting refurbishment and demolition surveys, what asbestos containing materials look like and where to find them and new guidance on the use of surveys in the rented domestic sector.
Regulation 4 of Control of Asbestos Regulations contains an explicit duty on those who are responsible for the maintenance and repair of non-domestic premises to assess and manage the risks from asbestos. It is a legal requirement that information about the location and condition of asbestos containing materials within a building is available to contractors and tradesmen undertaking any work in the building.
Around 500,000 non-domestic buildings still contain some form of asbestos and though it is unlikely to present a risk to the general public if it remains undamaged, tradesmen are potentially at risk if they disturb it through the course of their work.
The regulations set out who is responsible for managing the risk in non-domestic buildings and what this should involve.
The guidance is available to download free of charge at www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/index-hsg-ref.htm
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