Duty to Manage Asbestos

A new duty to manage asbestos regulation was added to the Control of Asbestos at Work Act 2002 and enforcement began in May 2004. It applies to you as duty holder if you have maintenance and repair responsibilities for non-domestic premises either through contract or tenancy agreement, or because you own the premises.

The duty to manage requires those in control of premises to:

• take reasonable steps to determine the location and condition of materials likely to contain asbestos;
• presume materials contain asbestos unless there is strong evidence that they do not;
• make and keep an up to date record of the location and condition of the ACMs (asbestos containing materials)or presumed ACMs in the premises;
• assess the risk of the likelihood of anyone being exposed to fibres from these materials;
• prepare a plan setting out how the risks from the materials are to be managed;
• take the necessary steps to put the plan into action;
• review and monitor the plan periodically; and
• provide information on the location and condition of the materials to anyone who is liable to work on or disturb them.

The HSE estimates that 60 per cent of duty holders are aware of their responsibilities, but the remaining 40 per cent remain ignorant of the law and at risk of prosecution.

For Further information on how to manage asbestos within your premises please do not hesitate to call.

5 Steps to Simple Asbestos Management

At Asbestos Damage Limitation Ltd we appreciate how confusing it must be to understand the new regulation regarding asbestos, selecting a competent surveying organisation, creating a management report and if necessary selecting a competent asbestos removal contractor is not only confusing but if your reputation is on the line you need to get it right First time. This is why we have developed our 5 step plan to solve this dilemma for our clients with our aim being to give peace of mind and Site Specific Solutions. The 5 steps are:-

Step 1 - Commission a Site Specific Asbestos Survey

At ADL we are fully qualified and insured to conduct Type 1, 2 and 3 Asbestos Surveys. We have a trained asbestos surveying team BOHS/P402 Qualified and management team with years of asbestos industry experience, who are dedicated to ensuring the client, receives a detailed report showing clearly any asbestos containing materials (ACM’s) detected. We provide a professional and discreet service that insures impartiality by getting achieving bulk sample analysis by UKAS accredited analytical companies.

Step 2 - Receive your Site Specific Asbestos Report

After we have carried out the survey on your chosen premises we then create a detailed report with recommendations, set out utilising the standards of MDHS100 & HSG248, a priority assessment, if preferred, will be added, which you will receive a bound hard copy of and also on CD-Rom (disc). Every report has details of how the survey was carried out, when it was carried out, the areas surveyed, and the number and location of the samples taken for analysis; it also includes the asbestos identification form from the UKAS Accredited Laboratory.

Our CD-Rom has proven a big hit with organisations as it allows them to store and transfer the information to all relevant parties. This is a key tool to insure that the management of asbestos is both recorded and enforced on your premises.

Step 3 -Receive your Site Specific Asbestos Register

With your Asbestos Survey Report you will also receive an Asbestos Register. This register shows you every location surveyed in the building and the asbestos content contained within each location. It shows the type of asbestos, the quantity of it and the risk posed from it.

Attached with the register are digital photographs of the locations sampled.

Step 4 - Creating a Site Specific Asbestos Management Plan

After you have received your asbestos register you then have to create an Asbestos Management Plan detailing how and when you are going to manage the asbestos e.g. remove the asbestos, encapsulate the asbestos etc. However, don't let this daunt you as at ADL LTD we will create an Asbestos Management Plan with your key management team to ensure that you are selecting the correct methods of treatment and that these specific locations are prioritised correctly. ADL will assist and advise you with site specific solutions using a common sense approach.

This Asbestos Management Plan looks at what actions can be introduced in order to limit the possibility of exposure to you and your personnel of asbestos fibres. It gives information on how it affects you, your personnel and offers site specific solutions for key management members to use to control the risk from asbestos including flow charts to show what to do in the event of an emergency.

Step 5 - Site Specific Asbestos Management/Removal Plan

After you have completed the above 4 steps you will then have the knowledge and confidence to enable you and your team of using the correct and safest ways of managing your asbestos. You will have a number of solutions available to use, for example, you can remove the asbestos, which will leave that area completely free from asbestos, which solves the problem indefinitely. If this does not suit your requirements due to budgeting, time restraints, or any other restrictions then you can treat or encapsulate the asbestos in order to make it safe, until such restraints are alleviated.

However, please bear in mind that although sufficient, this will become only a temporary solution as after certain periods of time, especially in high traffic situations, the asbestos will have to be removed if it is continually being disturbed.

At Asbestos Damage Limitation Ltd we are fully insured and Licensed by the ALU (Asbestos licensing unit), endorsed by the HSE (Health & Safety Executive) to treat and handle asbestos. ADL LTD also has our own waste handling license that allows us to transport hazardous waste to the EU selected asbestos landfill sites.

ADL intends to always leave their clients with the feeling of confidence and assurance in our ability and competence that other competitors can only desire.

ADL LTD OFFERING 'SITE SPECIFIC SOLUTIONS' (WITH A COMMON SENSE APPROACH)
For technical support and a cost effective 'Asbestos Management Plan' please contact ADL Limited.