Asbestos management

Asbestos surveys are critical to ensuring the duty holder is compliant with The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (CAR2012).

Infinity is UKAS accredited to ISO/EIC 17020:2012 and has vast knowledge and experience within the industry.

Asbestos management surveys – A management survey is the standard survey. Management surveys locate all existing asbestos within the internal and external parts of the building. Its purpose is to locate, as far as reasonably practicable, the presence and extent of any suspect asbestos containing material (ACM) in the building which could be damaged or disturbed during normal occupancy, including foreseeable maintenance and installation, and to assess their condition.

Refurbishment asbestos surveys – A refurbishment survey is required before any refurbishment work is carried out. This type of survey is used to locate and describe, as far as reasonably practicable, all ACMs in the area where the refurbishment work will take place. The survey will be fully intrusive and involve destructive inspection, as necessary, to gain access to all areas, including those that may be difficult to reach. A refurbishment survey may also be required in other circumstances, eg when more intrusive maintenance and repair work will be carried out.

Demolition asbestos survey – This type of survey is used to locate and describe all ACMs in the whole building if demolition is planned. The survey will be fully intrusive and involve aggressive inspection techniques, as necessary, to gain access to all areas, including those that may be difficult to reach.

Asbestos re-inspection services – Where asbestos containing materials (ACMs) have been identified, periodic inspection is required which is normally undertaken on an annual basis. This ensures compliance to regulation and also the safety of people using the property, with clients receiving a report detailing any changes as well as amended recommendations.

Infinity offers a one-stop-shop for all your asbestos consultancy and project management needs. Our consultants have vast knowledge and experience with asbestos and the industry, helping you to understand risks and providing you with the advice you need. We show all the options available and arrange everything, making us a cost effective and efficient solution.

Asbestos management plans – Managing asbestos is a legal requirement. An asbestos survey on its own does NOT fulfil your legal duty to manage asbestos. To manage your asbestos you must have a fully documented asbestos management plan, and Infinity has vast experience putting together plans that are tailored to suit our clients. We make sure that our clients have the correct documented procedures to ensure their asbestos risk is managed fully in accordance to regulatory requirements

Gap analysis – Infinity acknowledges that the desktop study/gap analysis is the first step in achieving full compliance in terms of meeting statutory and regulatory obligations, each of which places specific duties on the duty holder to comply with the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (CAR-2012). Typically, these are conducted when a customer feels they may have sufficient information to comply with the law but have questions over its validity. The desktop study/gap analysis is a valuable resource for those organisations that have large property portfolios given that they can be targeted towards specific areas of the business or activities.

Infinity works with UKAS accredited laboratories to ensure that all samples are analysed in accordance with regulations and within a required timescale to enable results and reports to be with the client as soon as possible.

We hand pick UKAS approved contractors to perform analytical works including personal, reassurance, leak, background and four-stage clearances. This work is important in ensuring buildings are safe to re-occupy following survey work and asbestos removal works.

We work to the following regulations:

Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974

• The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
• Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012
• The Hazardous Waste (England and Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2009
• Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015
• Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013

Approved Codes of Practice (ACOP)

• L143 Managing and working with asbestos

Guidance notes

• HSG264 Asbestos: The Survey Guide, Surveying, sampling and assessment of asbestos containing materials
• HSG248 Asbestos: The analysts’ guide for sampling, analysis and clearance procedures
• HSG247 Asbestos: The licensed contractors’ guide

Infinity has a team of experienced trainers with years of specialist knowledge and we are able to provide bespoke training courses to suit your specific requirements. Infinity is a member of UKATA (United Kingdom Asbestos Training Association) and we are accredited to deliver asbestos awareness training courses for up to 15 delegates in a setting that suits you. UKATA certificates are issued to delegates after successfully completing the course which can then be verified on a national database. We have consistently high pass rates as well as extremely friendly trainers.

Infinity offers a compliance portal for all clients. This ensures that regulation needs are met by easily highlighting risk areas of properties inspected. All reports are held electronically in one convenient manageable place helping our clients manage property portfolios in line with regulations.

What is asbestos?

Asbestos is a term used to refer to six naturally occurring silicate minerals. All are composed of long and thin fibrous crystals, each fibre being composed of many microscopic ‘fibrils’ that can be released into the atmosphere by abrasion and other processes.

Why is it dangerous?

Asbestos is classified as a Class 1 carcinogen (a substance that has been proven to cause cancer).

There are three fatal diseases associated with breathing in asbestos fibres:

• Asbestosis – a non-malignant scarring of the lung tissue
• Asbestos-related lung cancer
• Mesothelioma – a form of cancer mainly affecting the lining of the lungs.

Around 5,500 people a year die through asbestos related diseases.

History of asbestos

It is estimated that asbestos has been used in over 3,500 different installations and used within industrial, commercial and domestic buildings.

Commercial use of asbestos began in the UK around the end of the 19th century and continued until the late 1980s, but we have been using asbestos for thousands of years prior.

Large quantities were used in the 50s, 60s and early 70s. Peak imports were seen in the 1960s and 1970s, where approximately 180,000 tonnes of asbestos fibre was imported per year. Probable total imports mount to 6–10 million tonnes of raw asbestos.